What did you use your flashlight for today?

[Bkoyle]

The reason that I joined this forum was to find a flashlight that would be good to take on an airplane. Late last week I had to use someone else's flashlight to start an IV while flying home from Hawaii! I found out that there is not enough overhead lights on commercial airliners to start a IV.

Bkoyle

 

[PhotonWrangler]

...I found out that there is not enough overhead lights on commercial airliners to start a IV.

Bkoyle

Sounds like you need to carry an LED headlamp. I think that would be perfect for a situation like that.

 

[Bkoyle]

Thanks for the suggestion. That is what I was thinking. That way my hands would be free. This is the second time I have had to work on a patient in-flight.

Bkoyle

 

[photoman12001]

I used my titanium Lumintop Tool to find my wife's earring on the floor in a bar.
It sounds pretty lame compared to the IV on an airplane.

 

[blah9]

That's a nice use. And cool picture!

If you want to hear lame I can tell you that I have only been using my lights around the apartment lately. I used the Olight S2r Baton to get ready for bed every day for the past few weeks. Maybe one night I used the Armytek Wizard Pro Warm to put some air in the tire of my wife's car though.

 

[eblade]

Wasn't done today, but the Fenix HL50 on my head:

[video]https://www.dropbox.com/s/0g2l35chrd9bzdu/instagram_9P7UdNIOF-.mp4[/video]

 

[bykfixer]

It was long overdue but tonight I did a Bones vs FL2 battle.
I took some Pentagons too. A Malkoff'd X1, an L2 and an X3. But the other two were the featured items.

I slipped away to the darkest part of my area on a cloudy night. That means it was about as dark as... dusk. Maybe 10 before dark in the countryside.

Anyway I was doing some beam compares from various angles when along comes Johnnie Law. "Hey buddy, whatcha doing?" he asked. "Playing with cop lights" I answered. "What Streamlights?" he asked... "nah, Elzettas, PK's and Pentagons tonight."...
He whips out his 5.11 light that cycles high/low/strobe/off. Well my thought was "your light sucks" but how can I tell a fellow carrying hand cuffs, a 9mm, pepper spray, a taser, and has the power to use them that his light sucks...
The conversation turned to "how much" and when I cited numbers he soon lost interest.

Anyway for pure tactical purposes the Elzetta was definitely the one to have for signaling, blinding a bad guy or as a nun chuc. Plus the neutral beam is easier on the eyes in low light conditions.
For overall brightness, nun-chuk-ness, lights the bad guy but not you, and battery sipping low setting the FL2 gets it done.

I carried the FL2 on low and used the Bones to light up stuff. They made a great team.


Up close


You can see the overall beginning to change




The optic of the Bones is amazing.
In night adapted eyes I could see items further away, but the pix cause it to appear the FL2 has more throw.

Both are winners in my mind.

 

[Norman]

Sounds like you need to carry an LED headlamp. I think that would be perfect for a situation like that.

Maybe a 90 degree light and something like a Nite-Ize head strap. That way you have a hand held light with the option of using it as a headlamp.

 

[Boko]

This morning I used my Fenix HL50 for running to work at 7 o'clock, with a red flashing light on my bumbag. It's just starting to get light at that time, so I didn't need it to see by but it's good to BE seen.

 

[bykfixer]

Tonight it was a 2 fer battle. Again long overdue comparisons between similar lights.


Again it was far from real darkness.


The players:
SureFires EB1c vs Maglites XL 50
And modified Mags:
Full size with 2 LifePo4 18500's and a 4 cell bulb vs a Minimag using 2 LifePo4 18500's and a 4 cell bulb.

Johnny Law drove past and tooted his horn as I did some 300' throw testing. From a manhole to a basketball goal I measured 297' (92m).

First the LED's




Winner SureFire
I actually like the low setting on the XL 50 in that it puts out a pretty bright amount while adding battery life. But the EB1 feel less likely to be dropped when in a tactical situation. I really like them both but carry the SureFire a lot more often.




I also prefer that the EB1 does not light me.
I was surprised at the gap, especially since the smooth bezel hardly protrudes at all.
But for the money that Maglite XL 50 is a pretty nice light. I woulda gifted it to Johnny Law if he had stopped tonight.

Now the incans have been collecting dust since last summer. Matter of fact the full size 2c had never been outside.





Both put out a helluva lot more light like they are vs stock. And both hold their own in throw. But it seemed like the minimag edged out the full size by 10 yards or so. And spill was pretty equal so in my opinion the maxi-minimag was the winner.

Being it was cold as a polar bears toenails I cusp'd both incans on the way home. Handwarmers, ya know?

The next battle will be the 3C Defiant 850 lumen vs a ProTac HL4 using the 600 lumen medium setting. Both are flooders but both toss photons a good long distance too.

And for kicks n giggles PowerTac Warrior 1050 vs the 1000 lumen PK Warrior 2.

 

[blankc72]

I used my AA Hi cri Haiku to replace a radar altimeter on a UH-60L. It's an easy job but pitch black under the instrument panel.

 

[Treeguy]

Just back from some nighttime shovelling in a good solid snowstorm. My buddy is away, so I was covering some business entrance shovelling for him. Used my Thrunite TH20 to light up the pathway while I was working. I love this headlamp more and more.

 

[Repsol600rr]

Used a nebo workbrite 2 rechareable to replace the faucet for the kitchen sink. Then brought it along to help my friend work on his Harley in a poorly lit storage unit. Stuck right to the frame and positioned well for what we were doing. First time I've really used it for stuff since getting it, quite useful and nice and easy to toss on my usb chargers when I got home.

 

[thegameisrigged]

Used my OTR M3 for walking the dogs. I love it. Saw a fox. It has incredible throw for something so small with an OP reflector.

 

[bykfixer]

Just back from some nighttime shovelling in a good solid snowstorm. My buddy is away, so I was covering some business entrance shovelling for him. Used my Thrunite TH20 to light up the pathway while I was working. I love this headlamp more and more.

I guess if you guys don't shovel from time to time eventually a 2nd story window becomes the way in?

Used a nebo workbrite 2 rechareable to replace the faucet for the kitchen sink. Then brought it along to help my friend work on his Harley in a poorly lit storage unit. Stuck right to the frame and positioned well for what we were doing. First time I've really used it for stuff since getting it, quite useful and nice and easy to toss on my usb chargers when I got home.

Nebo has some really good ideas. I wonder if they hire blue collar types to give them ideas or how they decide to do some of the things they do.
I don't use my Nebo stuff very often so can't speak on the durability, but can say when I do use them I'm always thinking they had a person like me in mind when they built this or that.

 

[Treeguy]

I guess if you guys don't shovel from time to time eventually a 2nd story window becomes the way in?

We're on our second round of roof shovelling this year, and if someone hasn't done it at all, they must have at least 5' up there and they risk losing the house and their life. And if it rains, it's game over.

Roof shovelling is good money, but you work for it, that's for sure. And half the time you're up there you're just thinking about food.

 

[roadkill1109]

...to checkout the back seat of my car in a dimly lit car park to see if i left anything. (ZL SC52 EDC)

 

[bykfixer]

Tonight was a battle royal in a nearby cul-de-sac. I failed to charge my phone beforehand so no pix. But I stood on the same manhole lid 300' from a basketball goal that is about 50' from a woodline.

A Streamlight ProTac (HL4 on 600 medium) vs 850 lumen Defiant vs PK Warrior 2 vs PowerTac Warrior 1050 vs SureFire EB1c vs Maglite XL50 vs Pentagon X3 with a LightKnot drop in.

The HL4 was not as bright as the Defiant at lighting the night, but the Defiant looks like you are lighting the night with a flashlight where the HL4 provides a nice diffused incan glow like the sun was shining dimly. Even the 2200 lumen high had a tough time beating the Defiant. It's a mighty bright light for $10-12. Oh I definitely prefered the HL4 beam, but cannot say enough good about that Defiant.

It absolutely destroyed both warriors in output even though both are 1000 lumen lights. The PK provides more overall light and better throw than the PowerTac. Both do well as pure white beam tint. The PK Warrior is quite the self defense tool as a bonus. No worry of a Bobcat ruining the fun.

The most amazing was the 200 lumen EB1 easily out threw every light I had with me. A shortbus rider sized pencil beam (ie oversized) throws a crazy distance. The Mag did it's best and the skinny beam was respectable, but it was a formula 1 car versus a bicycle when it went up against the EB1.

The X3 stole the show. It outshined even the Defiant. Both spot, spill and throw it was like Goldberg vs the Mulky brothers except for the Defiant. But the Defiant ended up in second place.
A podium finish for a $10 light? Not bad. The final podium spot went to the EB1 simply because it throws farther than my eyes can focus with a respectable spill using 1 CR123.

Fun with flashlights while lowering my cholesterol. What a life it is being a flashaholic.

 

[Bdm82]

Tonight was a battle royal in a nearby cul-de-sac. I failed to charge my phone beforehand so no pix. But I stood on the same manhole lid 300' from a basketball goal that is about 50' from a woodline.

A Streamlight ProTac (HL4 on 600 medium) vs 850 lumen Defiant vs PK Warrior 2 vs PowerTac Warrior 1050 vs SureFire EB1c vs Maglite XL50 vs Pentagon X3 with a LightKnot drop in.

The HL4 was not as bright as the Defiant at lighting the night, but the Defiant looks like you are lighting the night with a flashlight where the HL4 provides a nice diffused incan glow like the sun was shining dimly. Even the 2200 lumen high had a tough time beating the Defiant. It's a mighty bright light for $10-12. Oh I definitely prefered the HL4 beam, but cannot say enough good about that Defiant.

It absolutely destroyed both warriors in output even though both are 1000 lumen lights. The PK provides more overall light and better throw than the PowerTac. Both do well as pure white beam tint. The PK Warrior is quite the self defense tool as a bonus. No worry of a Bobcat ruining the fun.

The most amazing was the 200 lumen EB1 easily out threw every light I had with me. A shortbus rider sized pencil beam (ie oversized) throws a crazy distance. The Mag did it's best and the skinny beam was respectable, but it was a formula 1 car versus a bicycle when it went up against the EB1.

The X3 stole the show. It outshined even the Defiant. Both spot, spill and throw it was like Goldberg vs the Mulky brothers except for the Defiant. But the Defiant ended up in second place.
A podium finish for a $10 light? Not bad. The final podium spot went to the EB1 simply because it throws farther than my eyes can focus with a respectable spill using 1 CR123.

Fun with flashlights while lowering my cholesterol. What a life it is being a flashaholic.

But... tell us more about the manhole lid!



(Jk)

Always wondered about the eb1, now I know more.

 

[bykfixer]

Manhole?


Your basic made in the 70's roach breeder.


Tonights lineup.

Energizer 1 and 2 aa, Pentagon L2 65 and 100 lumen, the Bones, an X3 with a drop in, a 200 lumen EB1c and the Modus 1 and 2.


Impressive throw for sub 75 lumens


Encore EB1c pic


150 lumen Energizer


The 100 lumen L2


Bones


And the lightknot'd X3

Tonight my budding flashaholic neighbor tagged along with his Home Depot collection. He was walking his dogs so we spoke of our work and how handy it is to have a flashlight around. We laughed at how the current president has so many folks see-ing red and how they just don't understand the madder they get the more he picks at their scabs. (Neither of us voted for the guy but are having a blast watching him **** off the left leaning press agents everyday)
We had fun for a couple thousand paces and parted ways at the cul-de-sac as he was walking on a schedule and I was wanting to lurk in a dark place.

I don't brag or try to get him to buy better, but just have fun playing grown up flashlight tactics with a fellow junky. In turn he doesn't try to convince me why I should have better cars like he has...
He knows I have a killer selection and that he doesn't. He's one of those who sees no reason to spend more than $35 on a falshlight and I don't disagree.
Afterall even bad flashlights aint bad these days.

Now the Modus 1, the 65 lumen L2 and the 1aa Energizer couldn't muster enough photons for 300' to show up on my celphone cam sensor but yet make for mighty fine general use everyday carriers. I really like all 3.

But I gotta do a lanyard ring on that X3.