Headlamp and Flashlight for Sailing

==================Flashlight Recommendation Checklist================

1) How would you prefer to purchase the light?

__X__This will be mail-order or Online (location doesn't matter).


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

____Up to $300. I could go $400 if no one tells Her.


3) Format:

_F___I want a flashlight (hand held/self contained).
_H__I want a self-contained headlamp.
_H___I want a headlamp with an external pack/power source.

One flashlight and one headlamp. The headlamp can be either self contained or external power.

4) Size:

__F__Small

The flashlight can be small or medium, it will be carried in foul weather gear that has large pockets or laying on a shelf in the cockpit. I've been a Surefire 6P guy, and that size is what I'm used to.


5) Emitter/Light source:

____LED (known for efficiency, longevity, and compactness)


6) Manufacturer:

__X__I want to buy a light from a large/traditional manufacturer that is ready to go out of the box.


7) What power source do you want to use?

__X__I don't know/I need more information on power sources.

When the boat is under sail, 120v won't be available, but limited 12v will. Under engine or in a berth, 120 will be available.

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).

__H__I want to navigate a dark room or read a map (1-10 lumens).
__H__I want an indoor "blackout" light (15-50 lumens)

I want the headlamp to do this.

__F__I want to illuminate an entire field, the neighbor's front yard several houses down, impress my friends and neighbors, etc. (300-700 lumens).

I want the flashlight to do this.

__XX__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.

__H__All Flood: I am doing "arms length" tasks like reading and campsite cooking.

This is what the headlamp does.

__F__Wide Throw: I want a beam with a noticeable hot-center for distance throw and a significant amount of "side-spill". Good for rough trail hiking, search and rescue, and general distance work.

This is what the flashlight needs to do.

9a) Distance: How far away will you typically need to see with this light (check all that apply)
__H__Less than 1 yard/meter (reading, other close work)
__H__Less than 5 yards/meters (looking for something inside a dark shed/garage/basement)

This is the headlamp. Those are perfect descriptions of life aboard a cruiser at night.

__F__30-50 yards/meters (I have a big backyard)

This is the flashlight.

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).

__F__90-120 minutes (Runtime is moderately important, but still not critical)

This is the flashlight.

__H__3 hours + (I critically need this light to run on max for extended periods in between battery changes/charges).

This is the headlamp.It will be worn standing watches at the helm, with no real chance to change batteries or mess around with it.

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 want a tail mounted switch (found on the majority of today's high end lights).


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

__x__A simple on-off with only one output level is fine for me.
__x__I want 2 light levels. (Brighter/short runtime and Dimmer/long runtime.)

__x__I want SOS mode. (blinks in ---...--- emergency pattern)



14)Material/Finish/Coating

_xx___I don't care.


15) Water resistance

__xx__IPX7 (Waterproof to 1 meter/30min) Any deeper than 1 meter will mean it's gone. :huh:


16) Storage conditions

____Other__In the cockpit and cabin of a sailboat.


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

__R__Dedicated R/G/B secondary LEDs. Red for certain, blue would be nice. I didn't know the thing about blue light and blood, but that could matter.

__XX__Wrist/Neck Lanyard
---------------------------

I like this system! Thank you!

My only criticism is the SOS pattern in question 13 is backwards. SOS in morse code is ... ---...

Jammer Six said:

==================Flashlight Recommendation Checklist================
....
---------------------------

I like this system! Thank you!

My only criticism is the SOS pattern in question 13 is backwards. SOS in morse code is ... ---...

Click to expand...

You have used this system perfectly, including the clever "F" for flashlight and "H" for headlamp to differentiate your responses.

Welcome to CPF !

And thank you for noticing the "OSO" signal .... It has now been corrected

Thanks. Doesn't look like anyone has any recommendations, though.

fenix tk75, for a flashlight, and zebralight h600, or skilhunt h03, as headlamps. you can get both including batteries for around 400.

i would also recommend few backup lights, around the boat, those floating 6v lanterns\searchlight. they are about $10.

A lot of lights actually meet your specs. For the sake of refinement, do you care whether your batteries are a specialized type (lithium ion) or do you want to use standard AA or AAA cells? In either case, you can get chargers that can run off your 12v supply while under way.

An AA headlamp should easily easily handle the cabin and helm use you describe (up to 50 lumens for 3+ hours, although many also have higher modes with consequently shorter runtimes), and quite a few have a range of modes including very low power "moonlight" or "firefly" modes that can help you preserve your night vision.

For the flashlight, to get the long range, you'll probably want to go with either an lithium-ion powered light (most likely 18650 or 26650 battery size), or one that uses 4 to 8 AA batteries. The latter will be larger, although for some uses, that's not a bad thing, and some of the multi-cell AA lights like the Thrunite TN4A do still fit reasonably in jacket pockets.

I'm guessing being out on the water, reliability has a very high value to you. You probably already know Surefire has a good reputation. I don't know their lineup well, but others might have some comment on best options from them.

Zebralight also has a pretty good reputation at lower cost, and a pretty good range of options, but I'll wait for some followup input from you before making specific recommendations. I also like some of Armytek's lights. I think the main possible concern with Zebralight and Armytek is they have a lot of mode options that some users might find a bit confusing.

I don't think I care about batteries, do I? I checked "I don't know/need more information" because I know nothing about batteries except you're supposed to drain rechargeable batteries all the way. Or something.

On one hand, disposable batteries are one more thing to buy/take up space with, on the other hand, things that want electricity from the main house bank under sail aren't good. (Under power or at the dock, it doesn't matter. Under sail, however, electricity is limited. Some skippers treat it like gold.) So I'd say that recharging is available, but it's limited.

Can you set up for solar charging ?

Not really. Where I'm going this summer aren't any of my boats.

disposable batteries will not give you power li ion can, not even close, for the size anyway. if recharging is not always available, bring more spare charged batteries.

i understand what you mean, i have been camping on islands with no power. that is why i said get few backup lanterns that use disposable cells, having spare headlight that uses AA or AAA wont hurt either.
i do not think he meant to rig the boat with solar panels, you do not have to permanently attach panels to the boat, you could clamp panels temporarily, or lay them on the deck, however i think bringing extra cells would be better solution.

actually scratch my tk75 advice, there is such light convoy l6, that is 1\4 of the price, with almost identical power, it is well made, and well engineered. in case you drop it overboard, it wont be such a hit to your valet as it would be if you dropped $200+ light, may even get 2 , and still pay only 1/2 of what tk cost

Yes, I meant a relatively small solar charging setup, primarily just for the flashlight batteries.

Obviously weather-dependent, but if you would sometimes have direct sun exposure, that could lessen the demand somewhat from what would otherwise be needed from other stored sources of energy.

It would also provide an emergency redundancy option, as well.

I see. I didn't know there's a performance difference between disposable and rechargeable batteries. I suppose I better get a hold of the skipper for my main cruise and see about re-charging. We're sailing around Vancouver Island. Except for the Sunshine Coast, it's an area noted for fog, not sun.

Jammer Six said:

I see. I didn't know there's a performance difference between disposable and rechargeable batteries..

Click to expand...

5hp outboard vs 25 hp, but in case of batteries, they weight almost the same.

Jammer Six said:

I don't think I care about batteries, do I? I checked "I don't know/need more information" because I know nothing about batteries except you're supposed to drain rechargeable batteries all the way. Or something.

On one hand, disposable batteries are one more thing to buy/take up space with, on the other hand, things that want electricity from the main house bank under sail aren't good. (Under power or at the dock, it doesn't matter. Under sail, however, electricity is limited. Some skippers treat it like gold.) So I'd say that recharging is available, but it's limited.

Click to expand...

No need to drain rechargeables all the way. Doing so every now and then with nickel based batteries can help maximize capacity and life time, but even without doing so, NiMH batteries last quite a while. Lithium-ion rechargeables actually do best if you avoid regularly draining them all the way.

Here's a quick rundown:

Alkaline AA's - 1.5V disposable. Cheap, ubiquitous, but do not perform well under high loads and may leak. For flashlights, I think of them as a fallback power source you can buy anywhere if needed.

Lithium AA's - 1.5V disposable. Expensive, but long shelf life, decent performance at high loads and work well below freezing. Good for uses like glovebox lights or storing for emergencies because of the long shelf life.

NiMH AA - 1.2V rechargeable. The slightly lower voltage is usually no problem at all for flashlights. Some have very good shelf life. Good performance at high loads. Good general purpose option.

Lithium-ion AA - 3.7V rechargeable. These can only be used in flashlights that support the higher voltage. They store about the same amount of energy as regular AA's, but will often give twice or better brightness at max mode.

Lithium-ion 18650 - 3.7 V rechargeable. They are roughly 30% longer and 30% larger in diameter than AA's, but can store 4+ times as much energy and single cell 18650 lights often put out more than 4 times as much light on max mode. These are extremely popular for heavy flashlight users.

Lithium CR123A - 3 V disposable. Half the size of an 18650, and many 18650 lights can also accept two of these. That means these can be a good backup power source to keep on hand for an 18650-powered light.

Lithium-ion 26650 - basically a fatter 18650 with a bit more power. Not many of these lights are out yet, but the models available are often pretty impressive.

If you like the idea of sticking with AA's for familiarity and ease of finding replacements, the Eagletac GX25A3 or SX30A4 should be able to provide the performance you asked about, and I think those two flashlights I mentioned will fit in most jacket pockets (not jeans pockets, though). The Fenix LD41 is another 4xAA flashlight, but is a bit slimmer and longer if a different shape would be better. Paired with a Zebralight H53F (or H53Fw if you like warmer tones to your lights) or Armytek Tiara headlamp, I think you'll have a reliable setup.

If you like the appeal of 18650, I think I'll just let others handle recommendations - there's a large number of really good models to choose from, and I've gotten by so far with AA lights, so I don't know the lineup as well.

Okay, Skipper says there will be recharging available for 90% of the trip. There'll even be USB ports in my stateroom for recharging. (Whoa. Dude. I have a stateroom? Cool!)

So if that changes any of your recommendations, I'd like to hear the new recommendation. Based on iamlucky's post, it sounds like the obvious choice is 18650 batteries, backed up by CR123s.

I like Surefire. They were the first serious flashlights I've owned, and I have a couple 6Ps and some G2s. (The nylon copy of the 6P. They're 6Ps in spirit.) Surefire lights are the lights that made me aware that there are better lights than the silver, ribbed Everyready lights that never worked when I was camping as a kid. You'd shake them, they'd rattle, and then sometimes they'd work. Surefire taught me it doesn't have to be that way.

But looking at their site, neither of their headbands are going to work, because they don't have a red option, and red is going to be important for the headband. So I guess it's time to look at options other than my vaunted Surefire. At the time, Surefires were the only choice for high quality, bullet proof reliability, and it's looking like that is no longer the case. Iamlucky, you are absolutely correct that bombproof reliability matters out on the water; the further you are out over the horizon, the more it matters.

I have a couple red filters for my G2s, but frankly, that's a criminal waste. Taking a bright, good flashlight like a 6P and putting a red hood on it makes it really, really dim. At least to my eye.

There are options now that can surpass the old filter over a white light. 6Ps are so popular that an entire industry has sprung up over replacing the old incandescent lamp in them. You can not only get high output LEDs but also colored LEDs for them. Red, blue, green, amber (yellow), ultra-violet and infrared. You can even get them custom made. There are also plenty of headlamps made with multiple color options, I cant recall specific models at the moment but they do exist.

Now, there's an option! I have extra 6Ps and G2s. If I could replace the head on one or two of them, would that work?

I hope you have a great trip. I have friends who have done it and this motivates me to look into it for myself.
Enjoy those lights. That will make the trip even more fun.

Thanks. I'm pretty sure I will, I don't see how I can't. It's a thing I've always wanted to do.

Iamlucky, what do you think? Specific recommendations? Anyone else?

Jammer Six said:

Iamlucky, what do you think? Specific recommendations? Anyone else?

Click to expand...

Again, I don't know the 18650 offerings very well, especially for the high end lights or the drop-in modules - just that Surefire is the standard for reliability. However, Zebralight, Fenix, and Eagletac all have a range of 18650-powered lights and good reputations, with Fenix having probably the simplest interface of those. Armytek also has a mostly good reputation, but a few users here have had defects out of the box they had to get replaced. It seems like if you don't get a defective one, Armyteks are very solidly built. I've had my Armytek Tiara headlamp for a little under a year with no problems.

I'm not sure offhand which, if any have an SOS mode, but I think most of them have a strobe mode

Malkoff and Elzetta drop-ins get mentioned around here a lot, so if you're thinking of upgrading your old lights, look for threads on those.

The red on the the headlamp limits the choices. There's a lot of basic consumer headlamps that have it, but fewer high end models. Maybe a couple of Petzl models, or the Nitecore HC50 or HC60? I've heard Nitecore had some reliability issues a couple years back, but I think they've gotten past that.

I've found that even white lights with very low power modes do a good job of preserving my night vision while still letting me find my way around in close quarters, so I've never bothered with red lights, so perhaps a Surefire Minimus could be an acceptable headlamp? Obviously, if the skipper says everybody should have a red light, he has the final word. Also, because most secondary red LED's are low power, you might still get comparable output with a red filter on top of a higher power red light.

Zebralight makes a red-light only headlamp (H502r, AA-powered), but it sounds like you want both white and red in your headlamp, right?