# Ever get into a contest with lights?



## PhotonWrangler (Feb 26, 2006)

Yesterday I found myself in a darkened area trying to find a ladder that would reach a device mounted 20 feet up on a wall. I brought a maintenance man over to assess the situation, and I used my Q-III to illuminate the area and point out the device.

He pulled out his incandescent flashlight with slightly tired batteries and placed a small, dim yellow splotch in the middle of my crisp white pool of light.

We both scanned the area around the device with our lights, and each time he wound up shining his weak incandescent in the same place that I placed my Q-III beam.

I found this puzzling at the moment, especially since he kept his light on the entire time, even though it was being drowned out by mine. Afterwards I realized that this might have been interpreted by him as a pi**ing contest over lights, and he was refusing to accept defeat. The odd thing was that he made no comment about the Q-III.

What do you think? A potential flashaholic? :huh:


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## carrot (Feb 26, 2006)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*

 Definitely flashaholic material.


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## Macaw (Feb 26, 2006)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*

Too bad you weren't carrying something like a Surefire U2. That really would have given him flashlight envy.:naughty:


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## VWTim (Feb 26, 2006)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*

I do it sometimes. When at work someone will have the almost dead Mag2D looking at something on an engine and call me over to look. I grab my Strion and light up the area and look at what they're showing me. Most of the guys there just turn their lights off at that point, not my boss....he'll keep using that Mag like it actually works.


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## paulr (Feb 26, 2006)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*

I don't think it was that. He was just following his reflex of pointing a light at something to see it better, never mind there was another light on it already. It's like entering an elevator and pressing the button for your floor, even though the button is already lit from someone else having pressed it already.


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## CLHC (Feb 26, 2006)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*

He may be light-sight deficient. . .Kind of like what used to be called color blind. Anyhow, don't know. . .


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## fieldops (Feb 26, 2006)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*

Yeah, a U2 would have been great! You could have said "hold on while I turn it down to your level"


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## NewBie (Feb 26, 2006)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*



CHC said:


> He may be light-sight deficient. . .Kind of like what used to be called color blind. Anyhow, don't know. . .




Either that or he was fixing the deficient CRI of the LED light...


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## CLHC (Feb 26, 2006)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*



fieldops said:


> hold on while I turn it down to your level!


Now that was funny! ! !


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## Paul_in_Maryland (Feb 27, 2006)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*

I once gave a ride home to a train rider who was accustomed to walking home from the train station. I told him that he should walk with a flashlight.

"Oh, I do!" he said. "It's real powerful--a halogen!"

When I dropped him off, we compared beams. His turned out to be an LED from Home Depot. My Digilight T9 made it look pathetic. 

I felt terrible. I wouldn't have shown him mine, had I known his beam was so weak.


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## quokked (Feb 27, 2006)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*

I was playing with the low A2 beam whilst walking home from a tube station.
Then this guy was walking towards me and he pulls out his little incan light, it was kinda like a miners light, square looking... 
Of course being my A2 on low I just give it another half twist and bright it onto high power, lit the entire guy up at that range, wasn`t feeling evil enough to hit him in the eyes with the A2 beam... 
*takes out his A2 and fondles it a bit*


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## tron3 (Feb 27, 2006)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*

I'm still trying to figure out what are the two missing letters in pi**ing?
Is it SS? That doesn't make much sense to me.

As for that guy, some people are just oblivious to certain stimuli. Maybe he thought he needed new batteries, or has trouble seeing without a yellow light.

Tough call.


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## IonFire (Feb 27, 2006)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*

Lol, never heard that expression before tron3?

It is quite old and basically means competition over nothing really.

And yes, my boss has done this too, insisting on using his old mag whilst my lights were obviously lighting up the subject more then needed really.
After some years he has come around to just asking for mine now, does this when i or someone else is already holding the light, as if he can see better if he holds it, what ever makes the big man happy.

It is a low level power struggle lol.

IF


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## markdi (Feb 27, 2006)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*

yea the incan light provided some sickly yelow color to the mix


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## FlashSpyJ (Apr 4, 2007)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*

some incans really do look like they´re in a pi**ing contest! with the yellowish beam!:laughing:


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## jar3ds (Apr 4, 2007)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*

i just run for my Mag85 to silence all


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## Trashman (Apr 4, 2007)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*



tron3 said:


> I'm still trying to figure out what are the two missing letters in pi**ing?
> Is it SS? That doesn't make much sense to me.




You know, you and your buddy both have to "go" and you see who's stream will reach the farthest. I'm pretty sure, this is something I used to do as a kid.


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## 2xTrinity (Apr 4, 2007)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*

A buddy of mine was showing off a Surefire E1L that he got as a gift a while back, flashing the light onto walls etc, so I pulled out my L0D-CE with 10440 and turned it onto high alongside. His response: "yours is brighter, but mine's a real Surefire..."


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## light_emitting_dude (Apr 4, 2007)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*

Had someone with one of those cheap multi-LED flashlights try to say that his was brighter compared to my L1D because his had more LED's


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## TORCH_BOY (Apr 4, 2007)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*

I knew someone who said that their single 5 mm Led light was brighter than my 3 Watt
blaster. His car stereo is louder than the Kiss rock concert, his home computer is faster than a Super computer, so I asked him to show me the light, it was just your Typical
5 mm 3AAA light.


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## SuperNinja (Apr 4, 2007)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*



PhotonWrangler said:


> What do you think? A potential flashaholic? :huh:


No.

They don't seem to realize what they have is crap, and actually think they are helping you.

I had a co-worker that did that once. I was shining a cheap (but sufficient) LED light into some dark recess, and he kept trying to add his weakened incandescent beam to the mix. :candle:
It got annoying real quick, so I just told him to stop. 

Some months later, I gave him one of the "Ellly"s from DX, so he wouldn't bother me with his sickly beam again.


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## kelmo (Apr 4, 2007)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*

Greetings,

I was camping and just wandering about when I came upon a group shining their lights at a tree about 20m away. They were arguing who had the brighter light. It was a mix of mags and something plastic. Incans. I whipped out my L2 and lit up the whole tree. They ignored me.

Another time I was in REI. I always stop by and check out the lights even though I know what they have. I was checking out the then Infinity Ultras and another patron said they were great lights and he had multiple Ultras for his various kits. I whipped out my E2D with a KL1 and he was totally blown away. Especially with the price. LOL. He walked away muttering he could buy 5 Ultras with what I paid for my rig.


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## sysadmn (Apr 4, 2007)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*

Hey, that's not a pi**ing contest, that's a d*ck size war! He didn't say anything so he didn't have to admit defeat.


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## sysadmn (Apr 4, 2007)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*



Trashman said:


> You know, you and your buddy both have to "go" and you see who's stream will reach the farthest. I'm pretty sure, this is something I used to do as a kid.



In my mind, a pi**ing contest has no winner - you micturate on each other's shoes, and it's lose-lose.

What you've described is DSW.


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## Danbo (Apr 4, 2007)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*

That fool was clearly suffering from "Lumen Envy".


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## guiri (Jun 27, 2008)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*



PhotonWrangler said:


> I found this puzzling at the moment, especially since he kept his light on the entire time, even though it was being drowned out by mine. Afterwards I realized that this might have been interpreted by him as a pi**ing contest over lights, and he was refusing to accept defeat. The odd thing was that he made no comment about the Q-III.
> 
> What do you think? A potential flashaholic? :huh:



No, a definite moron! Plenty of them around. I see this a lot in anything I do. Equipment I have, surfing the web, anything. People just refuse to give credit to anyone or anything else that's better and above, they do NOT want you telling them there is a better way of doing things, sigh


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## adamlau (Jun 27, 2008)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*

Appears as if he were only trying to help out. I would not have minded at all.


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## PhotonWrangler (Jun 28, 2008)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*



adamlau said:


> Appears as if he were only trying to help out. I would not have minded at all.



I didn't mind the additional light at all. I was just trying to analyze the flashaholic potential. :huh:


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## Lightfantastic (Jun 28, 2008)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*

No pi**ing contests here. I can start with a WF602D with a Seoul P4, then escalate to a P7, graduating to a ROP LE, and the final blow is a POB HID. The MAGs and Wally World LEDs drop out in the first round. The HID makes them think GOD is coming back.


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## adamlau (Jun 28, 2008)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*



PhotonWrangler said:


> II was just trying to analyze the flashaholic potential.


In that case, did he happen to compliment, or inquire about the Q-III?


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## TONY M (Jun 28, 2008)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*



guiri said:


> No, a definite moron! Plenty of them around. I see this a lot in anything I do. Equipment I have, surfing the web, anything. People just refuse to give credit to anyone or anything else that's better and above, they do NOT want you telling them there is a better way of doing things, sigh


Yep thats right, a moron. I have had similar things happen to met too like a biker friend who CAN'T possibly accept that his brand new expensive direct driven luxeon bikelight gets completly trumped by a $65 L2D Q5.
It happens all the time with many other things as well not just flashlights. An inability to accept defeat even if it boots them up the rear.


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## bagman (Jun 28, 2008)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*

It happens all the time at work but not often with the same person more than once 

Before I carried a Malkoff M60 I was using a LF-E04 powered by a 18650 and someone had a new CREE light that might have been brighter, so I was forced to unleash my extra belt light with a LF HO-9 on 2 x 18500's

The best one though has always been when I carried a Tigerlight and people assume its a 2D [email protected] :ralmao:


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## PhotonWrangler (Jun 28, 2008)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*



adamlau said:


> In that case, did he happen to compliment, or inquire about the Q-III?



No, he didn't, and I was a little disappointed. I was hoping to use the opportunity to educate him on some quality flashlights, as he works in a field where he really needs a good one. He works in building maintenance so he's always crawling around in dark corners, and given that he's using a stock incandescent light, he's going through a lot of batteries.

I see him from time to time so I might have another chance. And this time I carry a Fenix Q5 CE, so the difference between his light and mine should be a lot more noticeable.


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## TONY M (Jun 28, 2008)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*



PhotonWrangler said:


> I see him from time to time so I might have another chance. And this time I carry a Fenix Q5 CE, so the difference between his light and mine should be a lot more noticeable.


And if he still isn't impressed put it on turbo and blast him in the face! :thumbsup:


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## SilentK (Jun 28, 2008)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*

you should have carried a polarion.


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## Trashman (Jun 28, 2008)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*

Maybe, as somebody mentioned, it was a natural reaction. I actually had the same exact thing happen to me. I was showing a friend of my one of my high powered lights, not sure which one, but possible a Mag85 or something similar, and he also pointed the beam of his 2c Mag right in the middle of mine and follow my beam with his. I thought it was strange that he didn't put his beam side by side with mine and exclaim how awesome mine was and how pitiful his was, but he didn't say anything. It was as if he didn't notice anything worth noting.


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## PhotonWrangler (Jun 28, 2008)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*

That described my situation perfectly, Trashman.


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## Trashman (Jun 28, 2008)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*

It could be that we're just highly impressed by lights, especially bright ones, and some people just aren't. I may have been overly enthusiastic to show him and, possibly, even brimming with enthusiasm and delight, though, which may have been a feeling he didn't readily identify with. I think he may have had an attitude which expressed something like: "well, it ain't THAT great...not like you're making it out to be." 

Now that I think a little more about it, I think my friend just wasn't that much into lights, because I was all excited to mod his 2c with 3 CR123's and a CA1499. He said it'd be ok, but he wasn't really that excited. I think, I was missing the hose for the holder at the time and his light never got modded. You know, he really didn't care if his light was 10x brighter (at least) or not. Hmmm.... Maybe, though, as I think, if he actually HAD a super bright light, he'd have a greater appreciation. I haven't seem him in a long time, but maybe, some day, I'll hook him up.


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## BlueBeam22 (Jun 29, 2008)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*

PhotonWrangler,

Do you still use your Max Million III?

Brinkmann just started making what _seems_ to be a rechargeable "version" (it's not exactly the same) of the Qbeam Max Million III (like they originally did with the Q-II) and they sell it at Target for $40. I bought mine there a month or two ago and to tell you the truth I find it to be more impressive than both my POB HID and 15mcp Thor spotlights!

The new one at Target is called the "Big Max 3 Million MaxPower Rechargeable Qbeam" and it looks just like my old rechargeable Q-II but it appears brighter and seems to have a more powerful beam, even though they both use 75W bulbs (I know yours has a 100W).

The reason why I am bringing this up is because I thought it was funny in your story how you had the most impressive spotlight on the market IMHO, and he had a weak flashlight but he didn't say anything about your great Brinkmann, lol.


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## guiri (Jun 30, 2008)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*



Trashman said:


> I thought it was strange that he didn't put his beam side by side with mine and exclaim how awesome mine was and how pitiful his was, but he didn't say anything. It was as if he didn't notice anything worth noting.



It's called ENVY. One of the seven deadly sins. It's actually a really bad thing


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## e2x2e (Jun 30, 2008)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*

He's just proud of his flashlight, aren't we all? How do you think God feels, he's got the sun and we run around with these silly aluminum tubes!


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## PhotonWrangler (Jun 30, 2008)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*



BlueBeam22 said:


> PhotonWrangler,
> 
> Do you still use your Max Million III?


 
Not really. It's tucked away under a pile of stuff right now.



> Brinkmann just started making what _seems_ to be a rechargeable "version" (it's not exactly the same) of the Qbeam Max Million III (like they originally did with the Q-II) and they sell it at Target for $40. I bought mine there a month or two ago and to tell you the truth I find it to be more impressive than both my POB HID and 15mcp Thor spotlights!



Nice. I'll have to buzz over to Target and have a look!



> The reason why I am bringing this up is because I thought it was funny in your story how you had the most impressive spotlight on the market IMHO, and he had a weak flashlight but he didn't say anything about your great Brinkmann, lol.



It's hard to say what goes through someone's mind when his or her light is clearly outdone. Given that one of the possibilities is embarrassment, I try to tread gently when the other person suddenly gets quiet.


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## BlueBeam22 (Jun 30, 2008)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*



PhotonWrangler said:


> Nice. I'll have to buzz over to Target and have a look!


 
The funny thing about the Big Max is how huge it looks in its package.

IMO the Big Max 3 million MaxPower spotlight is the best rechargeable spotlight in my collection. The only thing better about it than your Q-III is that it is rechargeable.

One nice thing about it is that you can take the battery out and use it with its direct car adaptor just like your old one.

For several reasons I am more impressed by its performance than my 15mcp Thor and my POB HID (my main reason is its amazing flood mode), so I feel like it was well worth my $40.

ADDED:



> It's hard to say what goes through someone's mind when his or her light is clearly outdone. Given that one of the possibilities is embarrassment, I try to tread gently when the other person suddenly gets quiet.


 
I agree that it has to be embarrassment that causes them not to acknowledge your light, and maybe a little jealousy. To me it sounds like he was upset since he was the "professional", yet you had better equipment, lol.


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## TORCH_BOY (Jul 1, 2008)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*

Yes, its all based one who has got the Biggest, the brightest and the best


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## defloyd77 (Jul 2, 2008)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*

Actually I got into one one drunken December night without any lights. I managed the whole alphabet and my friend had a pitiful puddle....:drunk:

To me it's kinda instict to shine on the same spot just in case they shine away and kinda shows you're looking at the same thing.


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## Flashlight Aficionado (Jul 2, 2008)

*Re: Ever get into a pi**ing contest with lights?*



TORCH_BOY said:


> Yes, its all based one who has got the Biggest, the brightest and the best



Not for flashlights. Change biggest to smallest or just big enough to fit the hand. That is one reason I am drooling over the Micro Mini.

You would laugh at anybody who said, "Well, (stammer) my 6D Maglite is bigger!" as you held your titanium Wee. :thinking:


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