We were just under a Tornado warning for the last 45 minites. 10 calls for any extra flashlights lol.
‘like’ 
Most call from where I work. It is only about a 5 minute drive. I took them about 6 Q5 mini's juiced up, much better emitters. Also took sk98's (4 of them) all with upgraded drivers and XM-L2'S. They called them little until turning them on lol. Headed back home with my lights inventoried and accounted for.
One just happen be a sk98 that just arrived today. Supppse to be latest edition came with XM-L2. I have not even tested current yet. It looked great nice bright white. I may have found a reliable vendor. I will post later any results from that.
Enjoy while the feeling lasts, because it won’t be long until they start bringing you old junk lights so you could make beasts out of them (which is impossible but will you have a hart to tell them that) and then old radios, phones with busted headphone or charging jacks and all sorts of other junk that you would ordinarily throw away because it’s just not worth of your time…
Oh, this thread title has sticking power.
Really hoping you and yours sustained no damages TW. We were under several watches, but appear to have been fortunate tonight. Please let us know if everything is fine after day break.
I have a story, but it is a flashlight gal. My mother went to a family barbecue in Atlanta, GA on Thanksgiving. I didn't attend as I spent Thanksgiving with my wife in Pickens. At the Atlanta party, they decided to cook two large turkeys in a Chinese box. They underestimated cooking time and the cooking went into the night. The property was big and the cooking location was too far from the house to have power. My mother, always carries a couple flashlights and a folding knife as a handy tool (gotta love that in an 80yo). Unfortunately, she keeps the nice lights at home and only had a AAA light and a had a totally stock 501 (terrible tint and low output). Anyway, the 501 supposedly saved the party and amazed everyone with how bright it was. After the birds were done, a little girl played with the light until it was lost.
As you can imagine, I was disappointed that I was represented (assuming they said it was from me) by an old, low output, awful tinted light that was just a cast away light. Nevertheless, my parents were tickled silly by the whole situation and that makes me smile.
I recently decided to take a few classes at a local nature preserve. The classroom is about a 1/4 mile walk from the parking lot, and neither the parking lot or the dirt path to the classroom are lit. One of the classes was scheduled to go until 9PM, and the registration clearly said to bring a flashlight. Several attendees didn’t, so when the class was over I had several people head toward my light so I could walk them back to the parking lot. I made sure to point out the sign that warned about mountain lions in the area.
What was really surprising to me was that the volunteers from the preserve who were responsible for everyone’s safety had gone to the store and bought a pack of the 3aaa 9 LED lights that are 3 lights for $5 or so and used those flashlights. Don’t know what they would have done if they really needed to light something up.
Don’t forget the multitude of lights that ‘was working yesterday’ that were damaged because of leaking alkalines… :disappointed:
We are all good here. When the sun comes up then we will find any downed trees. Honestly where we live we dodged a bullet. They we so sure we were going to get hit, I secured my family here grabbed a bunch of lights and headed stright to the plant. On my night off I might add. I knew at best we would shut all power down at worst the building is made of nothing. Either way they never have decent lights. My worst hammers the best they will buy. Those are the times I like, meaning people seeing you don't have to spend 2 or 300 for a blistering light. At the risk of sounding selfish I usually sell several soon after something like that.
What's really fun is some always has an eBay clone that looks just like one of mine and they are so lost as to the reason mine will throw to the other side of the building and theirs is almost neon blue.
I just got a thank you email, plant is running full open again.
I had to deal with that the hard way. Many of those guy's I have worked with or for many years. And I honestly do not have time to repair something I can replace for 20 bucks for them. I tell them up front, if it is pretty basic and I have the parts or can get them reasonably priced, sure for a small fee not only will I fix it bit it will be more of a light saber when I'm finished. If it's junk I just tell them it would be cheaper to replace it. From either clones I only use the host for or even custom if they are willing to pay for it. I keep at least 4 or 5 each sk68's and 98's that I have replaced every part on with the best I can find. And I keep those just for those people. My wife freaks at how little I sell them for, I'm good as long as I don't lose money.
Yeah … we have a misunderstood and “weird” interest - until the lights go out. Then everyone wants to know you.
Sounds familiar ! :smiling_imp:
Till the lights come back on
That’s why I keep this interest to myself. No one I know could tell a $10 torch from a $150 one let alone understand anything I may say. I had a workmate ask if I’d seen the Bell&Howell Tac Light tv advert (after I took a very small POS to look in the roof cavity at work) he couldn’t shut up about it and when I laid out the hard facts he looked at me like I was the idiot and didn’t know what I was on about. Unreal.
Missed the action but there was some wind damage about 8 miles from here. I may get some emergency repair calls today- I don’t enjoy that part of my work but I get it done. My kinfolk, neighbors (with one exception), and most friends aren’t ones I’d want to have their own LiIon’s; only one nephew who vapes has enough understanding to treat them properly. The others have the usual mix of dead and dying craplights. I gifted many of them BLF348’s last year but they’re hardly up to extensive use. I might pass along a couple 2D incan Maglites that way this Christmas.
Everyone is impressed with my lights but their eyes glaze over when they ask what kind of batteries they use and their interest fades when they discover you don’t buy them at the local grocery store and they need special chargers and special care. I have several ready to loan out as needed and I’m always asked for lights at work where people see mine in action :sunglasses: It’s just that most folks don’t think about flashlights until they need them and they don’t learn from it when all they have are dead ones every time they do need one. IMHO LiIon doesn’t fly with that level of intelligence 
So it’s loaners only if and when needed, which does add to my street creds for being able to do and handle almost anything short of brain surgery.
Phil
Yea now with flashlights like the EA4 series and other 4 AA flashlights no need for lithium based flashlights. I bought a bunch of Hugsby flashlights to give to my family they have good performance and are cheap.
Agreed, i also keep quiet because i’m the crazy one 
Not cheap enough, for most people a flashlight is something with 10 lumens and worth less then $10, though as you say i don’t recommend or gift lithium to anyone, AAs only.
Everyone gives me a hard time about flashlights until whatever we are doing runs later than planned and we are are trying to work in the dark. I will give it a little while of them working in the dark and then I will set up my lights, amazing how no one says anything then. I have finally gotten a few of my buddies to start carrying a light and some have even started spending good money on lights.
My kids and family always funned me about my AAA I carry around my neck. Now all my grankids are running around with AAA Microstreams. When asked why they have a flashlight they answer “so I can see in the dark” LOL
Yup. I know exactly, precisely, with pinpoint accuracy what you are talking about. It’s all about saving yourself the aggravation.
Hahaha, This cracked me up. No, don’t want to be that whoever that does whatever, and so now it’s my turn type thingy going on. Whoa Nelly!