Too many obsolete flashlights?

Lot of people here collection Flashlights these is no such thing as obsolete.

I like all my flashlight Lights, Sometimes I do regret spending so much money on the lights. I could have just lived with one light but then which one.

I've started collecting can't really stop.

I'm little bit worried, yes. That's why I have shifted towards getting fewer but bit more expensive lights. Not any of that custom CPF crap, but more of a medium-priced lights like 4sevens, Shiningbeam, Fenix etc. I try to cut down the number of P60 hosts. I got like 10 of them in most shapes and prices (except the original SF). Might have to buy some of those later for DIY projects, but not to accommodate any bought dropins, I'm done with that. At least until they introduce properly driven 3*XPG dropin for something like 20-30 dollars. But I'm not holding my breath for that.

I don't think older flashlights can be compared to older PC's. Older PC's are absolete not only cuz of it's technology, but because newer programs and websites require so much more speed and memory. I have a 8 yr old laptop that works great for word processing stuff (non updated programs) and html work but surfing the web is slow as snails.

That said, I don't see how my AA Uniquefire G10 will ever be obsolete. Even if there are brighter AA lights (Xeno?), my G10 will still be useful.

But I say that with hesitation as who know how bright/efficient LED's will be in another 8-10 years. For example, my Surefire L4 (2 x cr123) from 2003 is weak in comparison to my G10 which is 10x cheaper.

Any light I might purchase that I consider to be "expensive" is done so knowing that I can mod it in the future (as long as they can be disassembled, and the drivers and star boards are of typical replacement size and soldered in, etc.) Im more interested in how well designed and aesthetically appealing the host is. A good host can last many years if taken care of. The bargain lights will become gifts to others if they arent worth modding.

As technology marches forward, the incremental increase in efficiency is very unlikely to be the quantum leap forward in 3 years as it has been in the past 3 years. In that regard, your current collection is probably fairly future proof for a good while.

As has been proven far to many times, newer isnt always better.

Not worried. I usually sell or practically gift away oldest ones.

Since I'm not much of a modder , I like the P60 format . I figure as newer , better , more efficient emitters are developed , the limitations regarding heat will be less of a factor .

Oh , who am I kidding . We will continue to buy the brightest , hottest overdriven dropins produced .

Budget knives , on the other hand , will still be as sharp in a hundred years .

A friend of mine was a flashaholic about 2 yrs ago. He went nuts, buying probably 20+ lights, mostly different. But then he suddenly lost interest and has almost no interest in lights now. He burnt himself out! I think one reason is that although his lights are mostly all different, they're all similar. They're all small handheld lights in the 50 to 350 lumen range. All cool-white. All using CR123 or AA or AAA. I know how it is... at the time they seem very different and you really need that new light, but after a while, you look back and you see your 200 lm light next to your 225 lm light, and both have pointy crowns, CW LEDs, similar beams, similar UIs...

Then the next generation of LED comes out, and you can get small handheld lights well over 350 lm, and then your 20+ older lights are kind of redundant.

Better drivers for DIY would be nice ..

Otherwise most lights can be upgraded with new emitters , and drivers as technology moves forward .

But some lights are timeless , or should that be emitters , any one else running SSC P4

Think of yourself as a curator of illumination devices. Instead of considering your older pieces as obsolete, think of them as stepping stones in the evolution of flashlights.

I have about 5-6 lights now, all using li-ions except one. In the beginning, all my lights used AA or AAA, or D, so I have been able to give away all my older lights so far. Now though, if I have an obsolete light, I don't want to give it to someone who doesn't understand li-ion batteries, so I might get stuck with more obsolete lights.

Yep, got one Tank E06 with P4.

One of widest spills in my light arsenal yet not bluish at all.

Umm... thanks oldbobk? :)

The next one of my lights that's going to be replaced is an older Ultrafire C3. After that, I don't think I'll have any extra lights, until my next purchase... and I may just mod my existing lights because I like all the hosts.

Good points all! I think if more budget lights suddenly started to not have strobe and did start to have lower lows or to have more choices such as l.m.h and perhaps more with side buttons and with smooth bezels then it might be hard to look at a dozen of your exiting lights with sharp bezels, flashing modes, all tail switches, etc.

Especially if they were all less efficient.

The difference now is that modern LED's are bright with good colors. Back when I started in 2003, they were poor green and purple Luxeons and unusable with my poor night vision.

Now it's a different story! So my modern lights, mostly modded, won't go out of style, especially since good rechargeables came on the scene.

Rich

Ooh, a C3... I'll make bob's offer, only without the necessity to involve the post office.

muhahahaha!

I've focused on accumulating lights for specific purposes. My goal is to basically have one for each purpose, at any given time. I don't care to have alternatives or duplicates. Maybe if I'm loaded but since I'm not I just satisfy the urge by researching, acquiring knowledge and hoping :)

I've decided to have a couple good Solarforce P60 hosts because they should last for a while and they have several parts to upgrade and mix things up. I'm still on a mission to find the perfect AA/14500 light.

I wonder how long it will be before we see another XM-L like quantum leap in flashlight LED technology. I remember when the XP-G/R2 came out, then I ordered an R5 Quark and when I finally did my first XP-G P60, I was blown away by how much brighter it was then any light I'd ever seen.

I still have the silver L2 that I put my first XM-L drop-in, in. I wonder when I'll be amazed like that again by something that much better than an XM-L.

williteverbeenoughFoy

BMW laser-pumped phosphor emitters? mmm.

... although, sadly, it's harder and harder for me to justify a brighter light. I'm in an indoors/urban environment, where a tailstanding xml @ 2.8A lights the room up just fine.

Its to bad that thorium based consumer level items have been discontinued due to the uneducated cries of ignorant consumers. Luckily, I still have an old stash of mantles for my pressure lanterns that contain this radioactive chemical element. There have been several attempts to replace it with other formulations and all have failed. The thorium based mantles provide at least 1/3rd more light, and a much whiter light at that. Ive always wondered how a thorium based phosphor might work with a hot running LED developed for such a purpose. It looks like we will never know.

I haven't really been so amazed by the XM-L. It's true I don't have a 3 A version. I have a 1.4 A version but I just don't need something that's brighter and brighter.

All that really happens is that the batteries just need charging/replacing that much faster.

Whether I have a XP-G or a XM-L I still add a piece of diffusion film and the results is more or less the same. For a larger light a 3A XM-L has advantages but I don't particularly like larger lights.

For a thrower the XR-E still suffices for me and for most everything else the XP-G does it. I have a (2) 18650 MC-E dive light with a 52 mm reflector and an output of 550 lumens or so but other than for diving it doesn't do much for me so I've avoided the temptation to get a larger 1 to 3 emitter XM-L.

Maybe things have slowed down for a while as far as the technology involved is concerned.

The lights I would prefer have more to do with manufacturers being a little more creative or varied than with the need for any more technological improvements to occur.