Real estate flash light

themcnabs

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Joined
Apr 17, 2016
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8
Looking for something for my real estaste business. The main thing is for attics, crawl spaces and dark rooms, some of these areas are small and some are large. Need to light up these areas to get a good look arround but also to have a good light for photos. Looking for something I can put in my pocket and is easy to hold while using a iPad to take photos.



1) How would you prefer to purchase the light?

____This will be mail-order or Online (Preferably Amazon).

2) Budget: An easy question, but you may change your mind after answering the rest! :)

____Up to $50. Possibly more.

3) Format:

____I want a flashlight (hand held/self contained).

4) Size:

____TINY - Every day carry (2-4 inches).
____SMALL - Every day carry (4-7 inches).

5) Emitter/Light source:

____LED (known for efficiency, longevity, and compactness)

7) What power source do you want to use?

____I intend to use Rechargeable cells (NiMH or NiCD) based on the usual AAA/AA/C/D sized cells common to most stores.
____I intend to use Rechargeable cells based on less common formats (18500 or 18650 Li-Ion, RCR123, et-al).
____I want a light with an integrated rechargeable battery pack.

7a) If you have selected a rechargeable option

____I want a light that has a recharging adapter (your typical "wall wart")
____I want a light that snaps into a cradle (usually mounted on a wall)
____I want a separate/stand-alone charger (this involves removing the batteries to charge)

8) How much genuine out the front (OTF) light do you want/need? Sometimes you can have too much light (trying to read up close up with a 100 lumen light is not a happy experience).

____Dont know
____SPECIAL NOTE: Burst/Turbo mode Category - There are several lights that will run at a super bright maximum for a very limited period (usually 5-10 minutes) and then will "step-down" to a lower level for thermal control. Check here if this is acceptable.

9) Flood vs Throw: Flood covers an area, Throw reaches out to a distance.

____Wide Flood: I want a defined flood area for semi-close tasks like after-dark campsite tasks or working on a car.

9a) Distance: How far away will you typically need to see with this light (check all that apply)

____Less than 5 yards/meters (looking for something inside a dark shed/garage/basement)
____5-20 yards/meters (check out a noise in the backyard)

10) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims, but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries (Measured on maximum continuous output).

____90-120 minutes (Runtime is moderately important, but still not critical)
____3 hours + (I critically need this light to run on max for extended periods in between battery changes/charges).

11) Durability/Usage: Generally the old phrase "you get what you pay for" is very accurate for flashlights.

____Very Important (Camping, Backpacking, Car Glove-box).

12) Switch Size, Type, and location (choose all that apply):

____I need a BIG switch (I'll be using gloves or have very large hands or coordination issues).


13) User Interface (UI) and mode selection. Select all that apply.

____I want 2 light levels. (Brighter/short runtime and Dimmer/long runtime.)
____I want multiple light levels. (Some lights have 5-16 light levels.)


14)Material/Finish/Coating

____Anodized Aluminum – either type II or III (Hard Anodized) (Aluminum, specifically HA, is the most common material/finish for today's higher end flashlights).
____Stainless steel (durable, but much heavier than aluminum)
____Titanium (durable and nearly as lightweight as aluminum, but can be moderately to significantly more expensive).


15) Water resistance

____IPX4 (Splash resistant)


16) Storage conditions

____Automobile glove-box (wide temperature swings, long standby periods, critical reliability)


17) Special Needs/extras: Is there anything else you want or need that hasn't been mentioned? Select any/all below.

____Pocket/belt clip
 

DRW

Enlightened
Joined
Mar 27, 2022
Messages
366
Location
Michigan
Maybe one of the Fenix right angle lights? These are typically marketed as headlamps. Some have a magnetic end and pocket clips for various mounting options besides the headband.
 

orbital

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 8, 2007
Messages
4,294
Location
WI
+

2xAAA light with a smaller emitter will work well for you.
Emitters are better now than 5 years ago, you'd be surprised what a 2xAAA light can do.
 

alpg88

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Apr 19, 2005
Messages
5,343
I'm in building engineering, so I can relate to your needs, I use noktigon kr4 for few years now, it does its job wonderfully.
 

Brokenarrow

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Joined
Nov 10, 2022
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70
Location
OREGON
Im in the biz and have about 40 lights around the house to choose from. I leave the fenix pdr36 pro in the truck for showing country properties which often have large out buildings. Indoors its usually the weltool t1pro for a blast of light in smaller places.
 

themcnabs

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Apr 17, 2016
Messages
8
Im looking at the noktigon kr4 mule - Watching this video it seems like it would work well for me. Anyone have a comment of this?

Noctigon KR4 Titanium Mule

There are options for emitters. Wondering which would be best for photos.

Screenshot 2023-12-27 102519.jpg
 

knucklegary

Flashlight Enthusiast
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Feb 11, 2017
Messages
4,196
Location
NorCal, Central Coast
I'm in building engineering, so I can relate to your needs, I use noktigon kr4 for few years now, it does its job wonderfully.
Hi Cri 95 with Cyan body color good choice 👍
A light weight headlamp for hands free in crawl spaces is another good choice to have.

 

Ocelot808

Enlightened
Joined
Aug 17, 2018
Messages
215
I would choose either a 5000K Nichia 519A WITH DOME or a 519A 5700K dedome.

The 5000K 519A is a Goldilocks emitter. Gorgeous neutral white with 95+CRI fantastic color rendition. A 5700K dedome is warmer and rosier and is equivalent to 4500K or so.

Tint and CCT are highly subjective personal preferences that are best judged in person. My own preference is for neutral white. Others fiercely advocate warm CCTs below 4000K but it's not my cup of tea. My favorite is the Nichia 219B 4500K, but I also love the domed 519A 5000K.

The KR4 is a very solid choice, but consider the D4K mule also: the difference being a 21700 battery vs the KR4's 18650 and side switch (illuminated) vs the KR4 tail switch and almost exactly the same size. The D4K can offer 40% more runtime with its larger battery while the KR4 is the same tube thickness with an 18650 to accommodate its tailswitch signal tube.

I recommend the Boost driver option which reduces max ("turbo") output by 40% (which only lasts under a minute anyways) in exchange for 25% longer runtimes with cooler 95% efficiency.

As an alternative to buying direct from Hank his number one dealer is US based in Hawaii by the name of Jackson Lee. [ Jlhawaii808.com ]

He has a very solid reputation of absolutely top shelf customer service and can have your light in your hands in a few days. In addition to any custom mods your heart desires. I'm thinking of the Zhu optics hybrid mule inserts available for the KR4 (see website or give Jackson a call, he's great on the phone)

Best of luck, hope this helps.
 

alpg88

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Apr 19, 2005
Messages
5,343
Hi Cri 95 with Cyan body color good choice 👍
A light weight headlamp for hands free in crawl spaces is another good choice to have.

Mine is dark grey 219c 5000k, not 95cri, only 83, but more than adequate for what i use it for. i do not think 95 was available in 2020 when i got mine, I've been carrying it ever since, clipped to leatherman wave+
 

Ocelot808

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Joined
Aug 17, 2018
Messages
215
Just ordered a Emisar D4v2 Quad from Jackson. He was great helping me figure out what I need.
That's fantastic! I've been a loyal customer of his for years and being helpful, honest and genuinely friendly are his outstanding qualities. He really goes above and beyond to make people happy. A very rare find and something to really appreciate these days.

I'm certain you will be really happy with the results in a few days. If you have any questions about navigating Anduril (the lights push button user interface) please PM me or Jon Slider and we'd be happy to help. Jackson can help also.

The light is really simple to operate but features a really complex set of options to customize output levels, check battery charge level, perform silly tricks (like random lightning flash or candle mode) and other things. There is a flowchart style "manual" of Anduril features but do NOT be overwhelmed by it. It details everything possible but in reality after changing a few (or none) settings initially, actually operating the light is simple and fun.

I hope to hear back your impressions and glad you found Jackson. 😊 Cheers!
 

themcnabs

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Joined
Apr 17, 2016
Messages
8
Got my flashlight today. Talk about quick shipping, I ordered it yesterday. It's not as bright as I was expecting but it should do just fine.

I have one problem, but thinking it is a setting that needs to be changed. The on/off button and the lense have colored lights that are always on and rotate colors.
 
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