# Any oldschool folk here from 10+ years ago?



## generic808 (Nov 26, 2019)

What's up everyone! I've been gone for about a decade but decided to log back in. Anyone around from back in the day? I'm the guy who used to sell silver polished Surefire's on a regular basis.

*edit - It looks like all my previous posts were deleted? Anyone know why?


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## trailhunter (Nov 26, 2019)

Do you have any remaining surefire left? 

(responds in a robotic voice)



Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


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## pilo7448 (Nov 26, 2019)

Did you just say polished?! 

Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk


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## generic808 (Nov 26, 2019)

trailhunter said:


> Do you have any remaining surefire left?
> 
> (responds in a robotic voice)
> 
> ...



I actually do in my closet somewhere LOL I'll go and see if I can dig them up over the holidays. I know for a fact I have at least one or two 6P's but don't know what else. Heck, I even have an original first generation 6P in excellent condition with box and paperwork too!


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## id30209 (Nov 26, 2019)

Hey man! I joined few months after you and i have been also inactive for several years. Good to see you here again.
And as trail said i'd be interested in those SF if you have em


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## generic808 (Nov 26, 2019)

id30209 said:


> Hey man! I joined few months after you and i have been also inactive for several years. Good to see you here again.
> And as trail said i'd be interested in those SF if you have em



Yeah, I'll try to see what I can dig up. I know I have at least 20+ different Surefire's from M6's down to 3P's but not too sure exactly what. Have you seen donn_, mdocod, jcct, and all those gen members around?


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## id30209 (Nov 26, 2019)

Nah...they were logged in last time like few years ago. Maybe even more[emoji20]
Keep us updated[emoji1690]


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## euroken (Nov 26, 2019)

I haven't seen those guys around for a while now...hope all is well...


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## archimedes (Nov 26, 2019)

This is the thread you want ...

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?100953-Where-did-all-the-oldtimers-go

Not sure if this one will eventually get merged there or what ... but, welcome back


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## archimedes (Nov 26, 2019)

generic808 said:


> .... It looks like all my previous posts were deleted? Anyone know why?



:thinking: ... there was a HUGE database crash around ~ 2011, I lost all of my posts up to that point too :sigh:


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## nbp (Nov 26, 2019)

Also, the Marketplace and CPF used to be separate and now have merged, so if many of your posts were perhaps on the MP that might help explain the lack of history. In any case, welcome back!


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## novice (Nov 27, 2019)

Ayuh. 2006. I have had my interest wane on other forums, but I keep coming back here on a fairly regular basis.


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## gunga (Nov 27, 2019)

I'm from 2006. Just getting back into it


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## desertrunner (Nov 27, 2019)

I’m old school here, but lost my old ID. But I don’t have much to offer from the old days, sorry.


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## generic808 (Nov 27, 2019)

nbp said:


> Also, the Marketplace and CPF used to be separate and now have merged, so if many of your posts were perhaps on the MP that might help explain the lack of history. In any case, welcome back!



Ahh that explains it. Yeah, I remember the marketplace being separate haha


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## generic808 (Nov 27, 2019)

nbp said:


> Also, the Marketplace and CPF used to be separate and now have merged, so if many of your posts were perhaps on the MP that might help explain the lack of history. In any case, welcome back!



That sucks because all the pics of my old pieces were in those threads. Oh well...


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## alpg88 (Nov 27, 2019)

joined 2005


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## etc (Nov 28, 2019)

I have been here entirely too long.

I first came here in a different life. Give it another 5 years and it will have been a full generation.


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## Chauncey Gardiner (Nov 28, 2019)

... from 10+ years ago ....... :sigh: Still not considered an Old-Timer.


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## thermal guy (Nov 28, 2019)

Hell I have seen so many that were on here just disappear. Life changes I guess.


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## midget (Nov 28, 2019)

i think it's fun to think about how far the technology has come!


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## autogiro (Nov 29, 2019)

I miss the Marketplace, it’s where I got started in this racket. I only came over here because of it closing up. I have lurked over here since 2006.
Auto


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## Paul6ppca (Nov 30, 2019)

I’m still around! June 2006. Still buying 2006 lights too! [emoji16] but upgrading them with modern led.


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## Roger Sully (Nov 30, 2019)

This year is my 10 year anniversary! 
I'm going to have to find a way to celebrate this evening...
So about these random M6's that you have laying around. Love to see them, and hear more about the polished lights!


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## thermal guy (Nov 30, 2019)

Paul6ppca said:


> I’m still around! Still buying 2006 lights too! [emoji16]



Some of the best came from that era.But the 80’s! Now there was a good time.


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## FulgensLux (Nov 30, 2019)

Member from 2007 here (though I was always more of a lurker than a poster), though I haven't been at all active in the last few years (bought a Zebralight SC52 and couldn't justify any more lights, so I forced myself to stop looking at the forum so as not to feed the addiction). I just logged in the last couple of days to get a sense of what has happened in the past few years, as I have moved—now in earthquake country—and wanted some extra AA/AAA lights for around the house in case of power outages/earthquakes. Yay for excuses! (Got a grabbag of ten L3 lights from sbflashlights for $88, which seemed an ideal deal for me; now eagerly awaiting what lights I actually get). It seems the forum is a lot quieter than it used to be, and that there haven't been that many flashlight developments in the past few years. (Heck, many models from when I las was active in 2014/2015 are still in production and their threads are still at the top.) In the old days, there was so much progress so fast, it was really fun to watch. Plus there weren't all the Chinese makers doing the nice work they do now and responding to demand, so the modding scene here was really active and amazing fun to read. Heck, I remember looking up reviews of all the models on the Ledmuseum website--right when the first high-flux emitters were starting to come out. The first lights I bought as a flashaholic were a CMG Infinity Ultra and a CMG Reactor 3 (one of the first lights to have a Luxeon Star LED, I think the Reactor was the first affordable one, interestingly they used the batwing emitter with an optic); I still have the Reactor 3—it's is a good emergency light and drains alk batteries quite fully (no regulation at all, just a in-line resistor--imagine that now in a light retailing around the $40 range!), and has one of the most bizarre operating mechanisms of any flashlight since released (though not complex, unlike the two Liteflux's I own).


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## DUQ (Nov 30, 2019)

Oh man I remember those polished lights.


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## Burgess (Dec 1, 2019)

April 2006 for me.


I've learned * SO MUCH *
from the wonderful people on CPF !

:twothumbs

lovecpf
_


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## datiLED (Dec 1, 2019)

I have been a member since May of 2006. 

LED technology has changed a lot in the past 13+ years. It has been fun keeping up with the advancements. It is even more exciting to use new LEDs in classic lights.


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## Tempest UK (Dec 1, 2019)

Not sure I count as old school compared to some of the people I remember when I joined but I'm still around!


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## Lynx_Arc (Dec 1, 2019)

I'm still here but not in school for a long time now.


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## Unicorn (Dec 2, 2019)

:twothumbs Hi there.


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## PoliceScannerMan (Dec 2, 2019)

2005 In the building, never left.


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## Cyclops942 (Dec 5, 2019)

Still here, still buying lights, and still reading CPF.


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## AB8XL (Dec 5, 2019)

I'm around most days, still haven't given up on the addiction and just enjoy hanging out around here.


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## YAK-28 (Dec 5, 2019)

still here, looking ,reading and buying since 2005. last purchase klarus xt21x, love it. remember national flashlight day...
happy holidays


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## Alaric Darconville (Dec 5, 2019)

generic808 said:


> What's up everyone! I've been gone for about a decade but decided to log back in. Anyone around from back in the day? I'm the guy who used to sell silver polished Surefire's on a regular basis.



2008 is old school?


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## euroken (Dec 5, 2019)

Alaric Darconville said:


> 2008 is old school?



:bow::bow::bow:


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## Lynx_Arc (Dec 5, 2019)

Alaric Darconville said:


> 2008 is old school?



Seems more like yesterday to me


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## martinaee (Dec 5, 2019)

I first came to this site in 2008. If that's old-school then I want life to slow down.


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## akula88 (Dec 6, 2019)

Just got back logging on around 2nd quarter this year. Still a SF E-series loyalist and enthusiast.

CPF is a dangerous place for my wallet. It got me hooked with some relatively discomfort.


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## RWT1405 (Dec 11, 2019)

2007 here.

I left for a few years, but came back a few months ago.


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## Christoph (Dec 11, 2019)

Still buying still hanging out.
C


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## griff (Dec 11, 2019)

yup!!


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## sld (Dec 11, 2019)

According to my profile been here since 2002.


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## Tac Gunner (Dec 11, 2019)

I wish I was old enough to have been around here as long as some of you all! I've only been into the flashlight scene for about 7 years now and have seen a lot of new developments, I can't imagine what you guys have seen. From ROP mods of 600-700 lumens to new LED mods with 100k lumens and everything in between, pretty cool stuff.


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## SCEMan (Dec 11, 2019)

Retired but still kicking.


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## Jash (Dec 13, 2019)

Wow, a decade already. Didn’t realise I was this old. My interest in flashlights has never gone away, I just stopped buying so many once I had about 50 of them stashed around the house in different places. I bought two vintage flashlights at an op shop yesterday. An old incan mining light and an Eveready incan from the 80’s with a momentary red button in front of the sliding switch. 

I popped a warm white led module in the Eveready and it’s about as bright as the original bulb but draws only 30ma compared to 480ma. Good emergency light coz it will run for probably hundreds of hours on 3 D cells.

My kids think it’s the coolest light in my collection.


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## Blades (Dec 13, 2019)

I ain't dead yet, almost died, but I got a pacemaker installed the end of May to keep me alive.


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## Lynx_Arc (Dec 13, 2019)

Blades said:


> I ain't dead yet, almost died, but I got a pacemaker installed the end of May to keep me alive.



Does it have an LED light built in it?


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## Blades (Dec 14, 2019)

Lynx_Arc said:


> Does it have an LED light built in it?



I wish. That would be cool.  I can tell you it hurts when you bump into something and it shifts.


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## Woods Walker (Dec 14, 2019)

Yup.


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## novice (Dec 15, 2019)

Blades said:


> I ain't dead yet, almost died, but I got a pacemaker installed the end of May to keep me alive.



It's nice to have you around, Blades...


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## Sambob (Dec 15, 2019)

10 YRS! WOW, Is It true people back then used to carry a pocket full of stick matches for light??
I've only been here for 5yrs, about the time I found my first love a Thrunite T30S before that I had about 20 Maglites all converted to various brightness of LED.
Welcome back to the darkside young Skywalker.


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## Roccomo (Dec 15, 2019)

I dropped back in a couple of months ago from a ways back.


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## Blades (Dec 15, 2019)

novice said:


> It's nice to have you around, Blades...



Thank you. I don't post very much but I still read a lot.


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## jabe1 (Dec 15, 2019)

I logged on in 2008. I still check in at least weekly.
The Cree XRE Q5 was the hottest thing going....


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## nbp (Dec 15, 2019)

If I can stay awake another hour the clock will tick over to my 12th anniversary here. Crazy!


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## tech25 (Dec 16, 2019)

Happy Anniversary!

I am registered on the forum for less than 10 years but I was lurking for a couple of years before I signed up.


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## spoonrobot (Dec 16, 2019)

Back 2011 or so I found my perfect EDC and slowly departed the hobby. Sold all my pentagonlights, longbows, zebralights and moved on to other pursuits. Kept my D-Mini but that was about it. Been carrying a Preon P2 since then and haven't needed much more. Picked up some S15s back in 2013 for bike lights but that's been about it until recently.

Was startled to find out how little development there's been in 2xAA and 2xAAA form factor in the past several years. However, the variety of 16340 and 18650 lights has been great. Picked up a Zebralight and a Convoy S2+ and have been shopping around for some others. The difference in this hobby between now and then is amazing. 

Don't expect to post very much but wanted to comment and say I'm glad to be back in the hobby and thanks for all who have posted over the years, the information exchange is one of my favorite things about this forum.


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## archimedes (Dec 16, 2019)

spoonrobot said:


> .... Was startled to find out how little development there's been in 2xAA and 2xAAA form factor in the past several years....



Frelux Synergy1 ?

Welcome back :wave:


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## CobraMan (Dec 17, 2019)

Still here, still buying lights, visit CPF several times a week still. Hard to fathom it's been just over 14 years since I joined - what a great community and source of knowledge we have here!

Cheers,
Tim


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## CanadianGuy (Dec 17, 2019)

Been here a long time, rarely post, and all I ever got that wasn't a retail light was an Arc AAA premium(?) as a gift. Still have it, but don't use it much. I'm just a dreamer. Never been good at putting my mind to things, and between work and raising a family, I don't have much time or money anyway.


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## scout24 (Dec 17, 2019)

nbp said:


> If I can stay awake another hour the clock will tick over to my 12th anniversary here. Crazy!



You've got me beat by a year and a week. The 23rd will be 11 years. Lots of good times here...


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## nbp (Dec 17, 2019)

That’s for sure - plenty of fun memories and laughs, demonstrations of care and generosity, ingenious designs and ideas. It’s been a good run. 🙂


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## phoneguy (Dec 19, 2019)

I have been gone for about 3 years. Came back to sign in and had forgotten my password. Greta had to reset it for me. :candle:

Bryan


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## turbodog (Dec 20, 2019)

2003
do i win a prize?


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## lightfooted (Dec 20, 2019)

Almost ten years for me. Hard to believe really but I do recall the first purchase I made based on info from these forums was an XP-E P60 drop-in for my old Laser Products 6P. Still have both the 6P and the drop-in. I tried the lego scene for a bit and while I still like the idea of them...mostly I prefer lights that have more options for output and I've felt the old SFs to be better single output lights. They still have a place in my gear for sure...just not what they used to.


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## The Hawk (Jan 4, 2020)

I have enjoyed this forum for 10 years. I have learned much stuff and enjoyed the humor as well.


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## Blades (Jan 4, 2020)

turbodog said:


> 2003
> do i win a prize?




Who is passing out prizes?


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## Falcon9h (Jan 5, 2020)

Inactive for several years but joined in 2003 during the days of the Luxeon tint lottery, ARC LS, Mr Bulk, Milkyspit (I was actually the guy that taught him how to solder!) and the first Photon Fest. What ever happened to these folks? Haven't seen any of them. Still have my ARCs. Did loads of mods up till ~2012-13 but now production lights have outstripped anything I could mod.

Just discovered Emisar. The disease has gotten me again! 🙄

"Just when I thought I was out... they pull me back in!"


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## SBranson (Jan 5, 2020)

Ah, the 6P led... I joined 10 years ago when looking for a replacement to my 6P led. I remember thinking how bright it was at the time and as it was replacing my big dcell Maglite the output for the size was amazing.. but then the Fenix TK10 at 225..! I thought I had the sun in my pocket...
Now 10 years later and I just bought my son a 2500 lumen Rofis and myself an Olight S2R for Christmas and I cant believe how bright and small these things are... Amazing what happens in a decade.

Still use the Surefire.


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## Kestrel (Jan 5, 2020)

Thread moved to */The Cafe/*.



turbodog said:


> 2003 - do i win a prize?


Get ye over to the *Oldtimers* thread; this thread is for us 'newbie' old-schoolers. <jk>


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## nbp (Jan 5, 2020)

I think that those designations are outdated. That thread was started in 2005, so when the OP referred to “oldtimers” the very first members had only been here for 5 years. If 5 years makes a member an old-timer, well, there’s a whole lot of us old-timers here now. [emoji6]


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## leukos (Jan 5, 2020)

I started lurking and reading posts in 2002 and joined in 2004, but haven't been very active the last few years as house remodel and other hobbies have taken over. I am still making new flashaholics with family and friends though, the last one being just this Christmas [emoji12]


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## BVH (Jan 5, 2020)

nbp said:


> I think that those designations are outdated. That thread was started in 2005, so when the OP referred to “oldtimers” the very first members had only been here for 5 years. If 5 years makes a member an old-timer, well, there’s a whole lot of us old-timers here now. [emoji6]



Every once in a while I offer this definition of an Oldtimer - including in that other thread: Those who were around during and at the conclusion of the Red Shoes event.


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## RedLED (Jan 7, 2020)

Class of 2006 here! 

There are so many nice people here, and a wealth of information that comes with them.

Best,

RedLED


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## MarNav1 (Jan 15, 2020)

Still here some, left for a few years life and all. 2006 seemed like 60 lumens was a big deal now 2000 is pretty common. Amazing amazing stuff ......


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## Threepio (Jan 18, 2020)

I look in fairly often, rarely have anything to say...


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## Labrador72 (Jan 19, 2020)

Have been following CPF on and off since 2006 or 2007 though I didn't start posting actively until a few years later.

Sent from my SGP612 using Tapatalk


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## SilverFox (Jan 19, 2020)

Still here... and still checking batteries to see how well they perform. Still using lights almost every night.

Tom


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## flatline (Jan 19, 2020)

I guess it's been 10 years for me. I disappeared for a couple years in the middle there, but came back when it was time to start replacing everyone's keychain lights...

--flatline


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## Nitroz (Jan 20, 2020)

Yeah I went from buying LED lights initially. Then I met David Chow and the modding started, next thing I know I bought a mini lathe learned a few things on that and like it so much that I sold the mini and bought a larger lathe for more fun.

We lost some great members along the way.


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## jayflash (Jan 21, 2020)

Yeah, back after a long hiatus. Still using my Streamlight Incan Scrpion, SF G2, E2e, E1e, M6 plus my first LEDs: the AAA & ARC LS. Gotta find a new Kroll switch.


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## Stress_Test (Mar 29, 2020)

Sambob said:


> 10 YRS! WOW, Is It true people back then *used to carry a pocket full of stick matches for light??*
> I've only been here for 5yrs, about the time I found my first love a Thrunite T30S before that I had about 20 Maglites all converted to various brightness of LED.
> Welcome back to the darkside young Skywalker.



Did you ever see the infamous "Fire-on-a-Stick" review?? 

Feb of 2008 was when I joined. 

I had been searching for one of those new-fangled "LED" lights and bought the first generation of Mini-Mag LEDs (had the Luxeon III emitter).

This light had the infamous "sudden death" cut-off when the batteries ran low, as I'm sure the old-timers remember. After it left me in the dark a couple of times, I came across CPF while searching for something better. Ended up buying a Fenix L1D and E01 combo deal. The L1D has the "Q2" bin Cree that was making such a huge splash at the time! 

The E01 died via alkaline murder years ago (I didn't know any better!).

Still have the Mini-Mag and L1D though. I use 'em to discharge NiMH cells prior to recharging. They both still work fine.


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## Chauncey Gardiner (Mar 29, 2020)

Well, happy anniversary to me! Now I can say howdy in this thread. Been here pretty much every day since joining. 

The things one acquires over a ten year period. MERCY!


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## nbp (Mar 30, 2020)

A decade well spent, I’d say.


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## jamesmtl514 (Mar 30, 2020)

I can hardly believe it's been more than 10 years for me. I bought a few things in the marketplace before actually joining. 

I was away from the community for the last 5 ish years. I have EDC'd a light every day though. Mostly my McGizmo Mules and a Tana TripLED 219 E2D.

It feels good to be home. 

Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk


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## Stress_Test (Mar 30, 2020)

Chauncey Gardiner said:


> Well, happy anniversary to me! Now I can say howdy in this thread. Been here pretty much every day since joining.
> 
> The things one acquires over a ten year period. MERCY!



Chauncey, wow, you are WAY more organized than I am! I've got lights stashed in various drawers, closets, etc etc.

Sometimes I'll come across one I forgot I had! 

--------

It's been a looong time since I paid much attention to what was happening in the flashlight world. I ended up with a bunch of Quarks back when David was still cranking them out, prior to the Surefire lawsuit. After that happened I drifted away, since I had plenty to last me.

I did get really bummed out a year ago when I was trying to find 18650s for my old Fenix TK30, and discovered that none of the new style 18650 would fit! They're all too fat! That TK30 is pretty much mint condition and the only thing I can feed it are some old old AW cells that are on their last legs and aren't going to go much farther.

That has soured me on specialty battery lights; now I'm only looking at AA-powered stuff. At least now there are some high-powered AA lights out there. I even got one of those 6xAA Energizer lights that's something like 1000 lumens, neutral white! I think it was like 30 bucks at Home Depot. Who would've imagined that ten years ago?! (not me anyway).


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## RedLED (Mar 30, 2020)

C.G.,

That is is quite a remarkable collection of lights!

Do you keep them out on display like that all the time, or was it just set up for the photo OP?

Also, where did you get the orange Surefire 6P?

Best,

RL


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## Chauncey Gardiner (Mar 30, 2020)

Stress_Test said:


> .... I've got lights stashed in various drawers, closets, etc etc.
> 
> Sometimes I'll come across one I forgot I had!



That reads like a fun surprise.  :thumbsup:


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## StarHalo (Apr 2, 2020)

Anybody remember that picture of the guy with the shoulder-mounted 600 lumen flashlight? Was a long time ago, but I know one of you has it on a hard drive somewhere..


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## Lolaralph (May 5, 2020)

Crazy but I’ve been here over 10 years. Like most everyone else I’ve drifted away at times but always find myself coming back time from time. With the free time provided by covid 19 I’ve had the itch to update a few of my older mods. Takes some time to remember how I used to do some of this stuff, lol. Figuring out the new emitters, what drivers, etc has kept me busy.


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## flashy bazook (May 7, 2020)

Welcome, goodbye.

Old-timers, new-timers.

Old old-timers.

Incan, HID, LED, LEP.

2000, 2007, 2009, 2020.

Sometimes life goes in circles, sometimes it goes up-up-up.

And where are we? Either in the middle, or at one of the ends.

Some consider CPF'rs eccentric, I think they are super.


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## mvyrmnd (May 7, 2020)

Wandered back to the site for the first time in ages today - seeing a lot of familiar names and avatars in this thread giving me warm and fuzzies. I hope everyone's well.


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## Kestrel (May 7, 2020)

mvyrmnd said:


> Wandered back to the site for the first time in ages today - seeing a lot of familiar names and avatars in this thread giving me warm and fuzzies. I hope everyone's well.


:wave:


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## Phaserburn (May 8, 2020)

Hello, hello; I don’t know why you say goodbye, I say hello. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## MartinDWhite (May 8, 2020)

I have been here a while, and like many it comes and goes in phases....but I have never stopped making MD1s.


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## StarHalo (May 8, 2020)

mvyrmnd said:


> Wandered back to the site for the first time in ages today - seeing a lot of familiar names and avatars in this thread giving me warm and fuzzies. I hope everyone's well.



Glad to see you didn't catch on fire, mate


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## Flying Turtle (May 8, 2020)

Still here. I did kind of step away for a few months, but been here regularly lately. I really look forward to clicking on Candlepower. It always feels like I'm with friends. 

Geoff


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## mvyrmnd (May 9, 2020)

StarHalo said:


> Glad to see you didn't catch on fire, mate



So am I .

The fires were heading in my direction towards the end, but fortunately I was never at any real risk. The smoke was the worst part. We spent days under a thick blanket of smoke which choked everyone.

I worry that 2020 has brought Fire, Flood, Pestilence and Plague already. I'm just waiting for Nuclear War and/or Alien Invasion.


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## StarHalo (May 9, 2020)

mvyrmnd said:


> The fires were heading in my direction towards the end, but fortunately I was never at any real risk. The smoke was the worst part. We spent days under a thick blanket of smoke which choked everyone.



Those of us who followed Cleetus at Summernats got to see it all (with added tire smoke, guess you can't stop an Aussie party!) A shame that wasn't the worst the year had in store. Time to buy some more lights..


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## ninemm (May 9, 2020)

Cool to see lots of people coming out of the woodwork to post! 



StarHalo said:


> Anybody remember that picture of the guy with the shoulder-mounted 600 lumen flashlight? Was a long time ago, but I know one of you has it on a hard drive somewhere..



Maybe on a Zip drive somewhere...


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## NotRegulated (May 9, 2020)

Still here. I check in several times a week.


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## Lynx_Arc (May 9, 2020)

ninemm said:


> Cool to see lots of people coming out of the woodwork to post!
> 
> 
> 
> Maybe on a Zip drive somewhere...


Or a 5 1/4 inch floppy disk.


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## LedTed (May 10, 2020)

Lynx_Arc said:


> Or a 5 1/4 inch floppy disk.



I’ve got my 10 year badge and remember keeping machine language coding backups on 7” floppies.


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## Lynx_Arc (May 10, 2020)

LedTed said:


> I’ve got my 10 year badge and remember keeping machine language coding backups on 7” floppies.


Better than using cassette tapes on a TRS-80 computer


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## CobraMan (May 12, 2020)

Wow - that just took me back to my senior year of high school in 1980 - 1981! My first foray into computers and programming...

I still have the Commodore 64 I bought when they came out along with the floppy drive buried deep in my garage.

Thanks for bringing those memories out of deep storage!!!

Cheers,
Tim


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## Lynx_Arc (May 12, 2020)

CobraMan said:


> Wow - that just took me back to my senior year of high school in 1980 - 1981! My first foray into computers and programming...
> 
> I still have the Commodore 64 I bought when they came out along with the floppy drive buried deep in my garage.
> 
> ...



I had a commodore 128 for about 10 years and upgraded the bios and added a 3.5 inch floppy drive and then sold it when I bought my second PC to replace my first one and no longer had room on my second desk for it. I enjoyed the commodore immensely used it for gaming and to do schoolwork as it was a powerful word processor saving me a huge amount of time doing homework at college. 
I had about $500 in my commodore (minus the software I added) I paid $300 and added $200 worth of hardware and used it about 10 years and sold it about 12 or so years when I bought a PC and then a few years later upgraded it and then built another PC and didn't have room for 3 computers. I got about $300 for the commodore from an enthusiast so I was happy. As much as I miss the commodore I realize that PCs are now so powerful you can emulate a commodore on one and realize how slow and clunky they were.


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## LedTed (May 17, 2020)

Lynx_Arc said:


> Better than using cassette tapes on a TRS-80 computer



Try (compact) cassette tapes and machine level programming on a (IIRC) 13 button key terminal.


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## Lynx_Arc (May 17, 2020)

LedTed said:


> Try (compact) cassette tapes and machine level programming on a (IIRC) 13 button key terminal.



How about punch cards on an IBM mainframe? I still have a jar of square "holes" from a punch card machine somewhere.


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## scout24 (May 17, 2020)

I seem to remember my father bringing a punchcard machine home from work in the 70's and having it plugged into our phoneline and running all weekend...


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## KITROBASKIN (May 17, 2020)

IBM 360, the bane of this one's sophmore year


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## archimedes (May 17, 2020)

Lynx_Arc said:


> How about punch cards on an IBM mainframe?....



I was wondering how long it would take for this thread to get back that far ... :laughing:

I spent a whole lot of time sitting at a DECwriter II terminal, a long time ago.


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## Lynx_Arc (May 17, 2020)

archimedes said:


> I was wondering how long it would take for this thread to get back that far ... :laughing:
> 
> I spent a whole lot of time sitting at a DECwriter II terminal, a long time ago.


I have flow charts and pads for coding punch cards and even some unused punch cards from back then. When I was at college they told us of people that took the holes out of the punch card machines and spread it on peoples carpets to annoy them as it was very hard to get them out of the carpet.


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## generic808 (Jun 9, 2020)

DUQ said:


> Oh man I remember those polished lights.



Yeah, I was soooo backed up on orders during that period that I had to cut them off. It burnt me out working on them after my day job. I had no life haha


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## run4jc (Jun 9, 2020)

Gonna jump in....I had to run punch cards in college. Dang, I'm old. 

Meanwhile, I dropped into the CPF and Flashlight rabbit hole in April of 2009. Everything is a blur since...LOL. But it's a good blur. Made lots of great friends here - many that I've never met. Actually had the opportunity to meet Scout24 in person back in 2013 and we've remained best of friends ever since. Amazing how flashlights bring so many of us together.


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## Monocrom (Jun 25, 2020)

I'm still here. Came back from a break awhile ago.


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## raggie33 (Jun 25, 2020)

when i first started here we used a cb radio. and we only had torches ya know the branch of wood on fire


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## Monocrom (Jun 26, 2020)

raggie33 said:


> when i first started here we used a cb radio. and we only had torches ya know the branch of wood on fire



Ah! Fire on a Stick. I remember those. Short run-time, not too bright. But with the added benefit of being able to cook your food.... and burn down the house of anyone who got on your nerves.


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## tx101 (Jun 26, 2020)

:wave:


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## Monocrom (Jun 26, 2020)

Hey! Been awhile. How are you?


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## tx101 (Jun 27, 2020)

All good, thanks


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## Monocrom (Jun 27, 2020)

Good to hear.


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## LEDAdd1ct (Sep 1, 2020)

*waves hand*

I have a confession to make:

I hadn't turned on a flashlight in a very, very, _very_ long time...so I pulled my special red nightlight out—

Streamlight Night Com—

and placed it beside my pillow where it belongs.

I recently picked up some 90+ CRI bulbs and with September here, am thinking about lights once again.

It's great to see so many familiar faces!

Just seeing the avatars and tag lines and signatures is nostalgic in and of itself.
Most of my lights are far from here but there are still some I'd never part with, one or two with me now in a hiking pack and the rest stored safely away or catching dust in a sunbeam (but still quite safe from the dreaded Alka-Leaks!)

*friends don't let friends use Alkalines


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## kashmir (Sep 1, 2020)

:wave: I see a lot of members in this thread that I "grew up with" over the years! I still check in just about daily.


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## nbp (Sep 1, 2020)

LEDAdd1ct said:


> *waves hand*
> 
> I have a confession to make:
> 
> ...



Wh... what do you do in the dark then? [emoji47]


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## LEDAdd1ct (Sep 2, 2020)

Over the years, my Flashaholicism has morphed and changed but never gone away:

1) All my lamps are using the warm white GE Relax bulbs and I have some 90CRI bulbs by a different company still in the box

2) I have three 3W (I think?) thrift store LED lights on goosenecks pointed to the ceiling in my bedroom, office, and living room; all three are on remote receivers triggered by a singular remote control that lives in my bed (the remote eats dead skin cells and dreams for fuel)

3) I have a special 3xAA LED lantern with an 80CRI LED sitting in a battery box with a giant LiFePO4 bank for power outages/it came in handy last winter when I lost power after a wind storm

4) My dad and I assembled an AC photocontroller to an outlet; I have some LED candles and dummy battery adapters (which stunk of cigarettes upon arrival...grumble, grumble...but are presently being remediated) to turn those candles on at dusk

So, even though I don't grab my lights as often, I've _never_ forgotten about the hobby, and, actually, come to think of it, may need to post a "WTB" for a couple things. ;-)

Ah, the path that never ends...


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## JJV (Sep 2, 2020)

I haven't been here in a few years. I have no idea why I decided to log in tonight. I joined in May of 2008. So only semi-old-timer.


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## jamesmtl514 (Sep 9, 2020)

Welcome back. 

Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk


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## skalomax (Oct 5, 2020)

I'm still snooping around.
Just ordered a few flashlights for an upcoming trip. Definitely overwhelmed with the information and new lights out, but it's a good problem.


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## Unicorn (Oct 10, 2020)

I miss David. The founder. Member #2... member #1 was the system itself.


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## cratz2 (Oct 10, 2020)

Sometimes I'll go for LONG stretches without posting, but I've been here for a minute or two.


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