Hello everyone. I have been on this forum now for a few weeks and one thing I notice is that folks on here enjoy flashlights and the hobby in general. Why is this, what do you enjoy about the hobby? Are you a person who wants the newest, greatest light or time tested and reliable technology?
For me I see flashlights as a tool moreso than a collectors item for me. I prefer to have a light that I can use when needed and one that I can use and not worry about working on it. I prefer to have a few quality lights that fit my needs rather than a toolbox full of many lights. I have this bad habbit of being a practicle person and can not make myself have 10 P60 lights or 6 AA lights for example. If what I have works for me, then I am happy.
Now I will admit that if I had more money to play with that I might do more with the hobby. To give you an idea about me....my wife drives a 17 year old car and is happy with that, we have a TV from 1996 and the XBOX and PS2 from ten years ago. I think that it is neat that Foy tries so many new lights and that Match is not content with a stock light, thus he does very neat mods. I enjoy reading about others trying new lights, it is fun. I am glad to be a part of this hobby and yes I want more lights and will get more when money is set aside for it.....however I do not need anymore lights, so it is hard for me to pull the trigger. :)
So what draws you in to being a flashoholic? Thanks for the insite. :)
My wife enjoys needle work and to my eyes she is good at it, so that is her hobby. :) I tend to have a few micro hobbies. I like a few different things and do not have much of any of them. I have a few knives, multitools, flashlights, Zippo lighters, and double edged safety razors. :)
My thoughts exactly, why would anyone want to collect DE razors. LOL I have a few my favorite being my Lord Merkur Tech or 1957 Gillette SS. My wife has the entire Lady Gillette series with all the colors. :)
To me, flashlights were what they were when I was a kid.. these big, fat things that ate batteries and spat out an ugly, dim light. I could never afford the batteries for them, so that was that. They were a tool I couldn't afford, and I wasn't really saddened by the loss.
Then a couple years ago I was in HK visiting my girlfriend and happened across the ultrafire flashlight stall (I actually have some more recent pictures of it posted here). I didn't know a cree from a birthday candle, but I bought a great little light using some unheard-of battery and started carrying it everywhere.
It's amazing how much use you get out of a flashlight when you have one on you, isn't it?
Eventually my little twisty light needed a replacement and I kinda.. went overboard. I met this group of pirates, villains and ne'er-do-wells while trying to learn more about QTC pills, and went over-overboard. Now I've got 7 good lights (1x 16340, 2 x 18650, 4 x AA / 14500) that cover me from 'don't bump your toe in the dark' to 'I'm lost on the north shore mountains' with only a couple redundancies.
Lights are a guy thing .. right up there with sharp pointy stuff or thing that go bang or fast scary stuff .it's inbred ,it's in the genes .. look at foy he's only 3 years old and has all those lights ..It starts with wanting to read comics under the covers and then having your boy scout flashlight ,to looking under the 300$ peice of junk car to try to fix it .to spotting the elusive horned owl ,and then to finding your keys .
The fact that led technology has increased drasticly in the last 5 to 10 years means that all those little boys who pick up a light now all say the same thing ...WOW !!!
The fact that they start at 10$ and max out at about 100$ looks very interesting to guys who remember spending over 1000$ on a set of wheels and tires .
Whether it's turning on a light bulb or lighting up a flashlight it doesn't make that much difference we all do it 1000 times a day .how many times have you used your phone as a flashlight ? 250 lumens focused just works a whole lot better .
My step-daughter rolls her eyes an says in a sarcastic voice, "the power of light in your hand".
But hey, it's true. With a good flashlight in my hand I wield the power of light over darkness. It's man's most primal fear conquered. With one of my custom lights in my hand I am a god! Muah hah hah hah!!!
And Johnny said, "let there be light", and there was light. And Johnny saw the light and that it was good, and Johnny divided the light from the darkness.
I am finding out that there is a right tool for the job and that finding it is part of the fun. I am still looking for the right flashlight for great runtimes and low output, but I have threads on that. :)
I have a 2AA 3LED Mag in the car for a light when needed. Good ole' Mag's, they may not be the brightest things around but they are good lights. That light is too large for my pocket, that is why I am thinking single AA. :)
I got into flashlights because I'm into camping, survival and tools for Every Day Carry (EDC). Similar to packing water, a multi tool, or a first aid kit, a source of light is an essential survival tool.
I didn't set out to 'collect flashlights'. But I've started to accumulate a few different flashlights because of buying various lights trying to find the right one that fits my needs. I give away the ones I don't use, to family and friends.
I was given a LED light 10 years ago as a gift. It was pretty nice. Years later I read about how much they've improved. LED emitters are so much brighter and more energy efficient now. So I bought a couple lights on DX that were well reviewed.
From there I've started looking at other lighting gear for camping. Like LED lanterns, head lamps, angle head lights, and glow tubes.
My main challenge is finding lights with the longest run time, low power mode, and most efficient use of power. All this of course at a budget price point.