The giant flashlight thread

bykfixer

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Ok, so here in 2019 lighting technology is getting smaller and brighter; brighter and smaller as a 1x AA light has achieved levels it used to take a light requiring a shoulder strap to produce.

Let's see those old search and rescue numbers from yester-year.

IMG-20190202-104754.jpg

Top to bottom:
- 4C Maglite circa 1990's.
- 5D Streamlight circa 1980's
- 3D Dog House Supply signaler with 3D extension circa 1950's.
- 5D LA Screw circa 1970's.
- 6D Dog House Supply with 1D extension circa 1960's.
-6 D Bright Star with 3D extension circa 1930's.

They put out between 100 and 150 lumens with a big ole hot spot that could easily shine the length of a football field, yet offered decent run times of about an hour or so depending on the era of the fuel source.

The Bright Star is from an era where battery tech was still pretty lousy (compared to the Maglite era) and carriers used a battery belt to have extra fuel to light them. Fresh cells were required as storage life was pretty short lived.

By the 1950's bulbs were getting better and batteries leaked like crazy when bright bulbs sucked out electricity at a brisk pace. In the 60's battery casings were better and storage life was also greatly improved.

Largely gone was the E10 screw in bulb.
IMG-20190202-112347.jpg


In was the PR based slide in bulb with a more drop friendly spring loaded mounting system.

IMG-20190202-112414.jpg


The big guys were still outfitting lights with bulbs by GE and Norelco but those in the know were opting for better. Chicago Miniature and Tung Sol were duking it out for radios, automotive and motorcyle use but some discovered the Tung Sol not only lasted longer but had a pretty nice beam. The last thing you needed when conducting a raid was to have a bulb fail after bashing some dope smoking hippy over the head and bulbs Rayovac Sportsman came with were not very sturdy.

IMG-20190202-121156.jpg

My boss told me his G-Man dad swore by them back in the day. .

The 1970's brought us Maglite, LA Screw, Kel-Lite and other sturdy lights made of alluminum. Plastic lenses were becoming the norm along with plastic reflectors. Battery tech was getting a lot better. 2C flashlights were gaining in popularity as bulbs and reflectors improved. But the big light still outshined the little ones. The Rayovac Sportsman and Eveready Captain were relegated to household use.

Things shook out in the 1980's while Maglite and Streamlight battled it out for supremecy. Don Keller had played a large role in developing the krypton bulb and Maglite had developed the 2x AA minimag. A little known company called Laser Products was budding, Pelican and Tek-Lite were also making portable lights. My pop had a 3D Radio Shack Kel-Lite clone and my mom used a 4C Maglite. No more wack-a-palm Rayovac fridge mounted numbers. Cop lights were becoming standard household flashlights.

By the 1990's there were those 2x 123 numbers that were beginning to replace the giant flashlight. Backups at first, then as more and more conpanies like Pelican, and Streamlight entered the portable alluminum light market the mighty Maglite was beginning to be replaced by smaller, brighter products.

By the early 2000's one could mount these portable lights to a 12 gauge shotgun without issue.

IMG-20190202-113000.jpg


Pentagon tried to duke it out with SureFire but found out copyright infringement was a bad idea. Pelican and Streamlight had developed their own systems and had gained a foothold in the police carried realm. The little guys like Dog House Supply were gone and the giants like Rayovac and Eveready were stuck in a time warp. Bright Star made a go at some minimag clones. Brinkmann entered the fray with Don Keller at the helm. Tek-Lite was still hanging around, but stayed below the radar with their tiny waterproof numbers. (They are called Tek-Tite now.)

The LED rewrote the whole rule book.
 
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ven

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Very nice mr fixer, love your crazy extensive flashlight family, full of variety. I think my fav of the above is the 6d dog house cu number:)
 

bykfixer

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I suppose what prompted me to start a "giant" flashlight thread was reading somebody complain that a 1x 123 Olight was too big for them.

A SureFire E1 was brighter than the 2C from the good ole days.
IMG-20190202-115501.jpg

The original E1 put out enough light to mimic the larger 2C yet the 1aa LED light can compete with those 900 pound gorilla sized lights.

Yes, we've come a long ways.
 
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InvisibleFrodo

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Sep 16, 2014
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...giants like Rayovac and Eveready we're stuck in a time warp."

So true. I feel like they are only recently starting to emerge from that time warp, and even still, many of those lights still feel like they just dropped in the cheapest LEDs they could find.
Somehow the lumens race is still afoot.
 

Minimoog

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Jan 13, 2005
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Long lights were not common in the UK, the longest being usually 3D cell, then the next one up was usually driven by the 6 V lantern battery. This 1930's 5D Ever Ready is an outlier in that respect - and I have never seen another. The beam is adjusted by rotating the tail cap and I have fitted a 10 Watt halogen lamp. Very useful light and well balanced too.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/nvhldsyo6reg145/20190202_234644.jpg?dl=0
 
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