One thing for sure he wants a flashlight that sits next to his chair. So I guess it has to be extraordinarily cool and rare or newest.
Thanks, bigm. With every reply I’m getting more advice about the direction I’ll go. I’m really trying to get some lights for the cars and to scatter around the house in our emergency locations. Then, I’ll dig in for the lights I like to “play with - the ones next to my chair.” :sunglasses: I appreciate the help and everyone’s willingness to offer tips about what kinds of things I need to be paying attention to.
Again, many thanks.
The first lights I buy will ride in the cars, get infrequent use and be for those moments when someone is stranded in the car. Similar lights will get put around the house for those rare instances when we have a power outage or something goes bump in the night. They’ll also get infrequent use, but will need to work when the time comes.
Finally, are the hobbyist purchases I might make to toy with. I refer to them as the lights that will sit next to my chair. Like headphones, pocket knives and pens, they’ll be there because I like them - not because I’m going on maneuvers! Too old for spec-ops. :nerd_face:
A good starting point would be the most common battery formats and popular models. On the 18650 format the S2+ from Convoy is a great all-arounder and very good value, plus if you get into modding, it’s a good platform for starting.
A charger that can fit 26650s and charges NiMH cells will future-proof you for any battery formats you get into. I have the Nitecore SC4, but it’s not very cheap. People here seem to like the Liitokala Lii-500, which won’t set you back too much for a start
I just read a thread about a new C8 here: https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/41544
When the time comes to buy an L6 or S2+ or C8, which are the preferred sellers and how do I insure that I’m ordering whatever the latest & greatest is?
Good advice about battery formats & thanks for the help.
Simon (from Convoy) has an official Aliexpress shop
https://convoy.aliexpress.com/store/330416
Gearbest, Banggood, MTN electronics and I'm sure others carry them as well, purchase to your liking. I'd suggest either buy from Simon directly or MTN-electronics since they have stock in the US and shipping will be a lot faster. Be sure to get one with the biscotti driver for the S2+ or C8 (not sure about the L6 or other models). If it is not specified as so in the item description, ask him to make it so in your order notes (you can ask for a different tailcap color, LED and driver if you want)
Thank you so much. Orders to be placed today. :+1:
Welcome, glad to see another engineer here (this site seems to attract us)
For the cars, I’ve gone the AA route just because you can get batteries anywhere and they’re small enough to fit anywhere. With LEDs I’ve found that just an AA light will do 95% of what I need it for in a car, looking for stuff close to you in the dark for 20-30 minutes at a time. Big upgrade from the mini Maglites I used to love 25 years ago. Some of the newer AA lights are the Sofirn SP10B, Lumintop EDC05, Utorch UT01, Thorfire TG06, Manker T01. I also have a rechargeable eneloop in the light and an Olight UC usb charger in the car. That way I don’t have to worry about batteries leaking, overheating, self discharging, or ruining a really nice light as they’re relatively cheap.
For lights just around the house, anything from a S2 style tube light to a C8 would work great, just remember with a larger head the hotspot becomes smaller/tighter so viewing things close to you might be too bright or not shed enough light to your surroundings. I’m a sucker for lights in the 30-40mm head range, lots to choose from I don’t know where to begin, but can be as cheap as $10 or $60+. I usually use 18650 lights here as they fit in a pocket or drawer easily.
For fun toys, a big light like the L6 or Thorfire S70 are great, something about lighting up a whole field that makes you smile. Or if you want a searchlight for lighting far away objects, the Convoy L2, Olight M2X, Nitecore P30, Haikelite has a few. If you find one that you like, it’s worth looking around a bit for the best price, sometimes there will be a coupon code for it or you can request one from the several members that communicate with the Chinese stores often.
Welcome to the fun
This is great info. I was about to place an order just to “learn some stuff.” Instead, you’ve given me some notions about how the lights may actually get applied. That’s really useful. Thanks for your help!