I’ve been going through threads here and I’ve been a little overwhelmed, I hope you guys don’t mind another novice.
I’m looking for the following flashlight:
3AA or better. I have piles of Eneloops. Ideally with the option to move to lithium later, though this is not a requirement.
Wide beam. 5’ wide or more at a 20’ foot. I see a lot of lights here with tremendous throw, but that look like pinpoints. I want something I could take on a walking trail, set to a middle brightness, and have a good idea where I’m going without having to scan the ground with the light.
Bright enough to illuminate to, say, 75’ with that wide beam on the highest setting. I’m just making up a number here, correct me if this is ludicrous. My existing light is a 2AA Rayovac with a 1W LED. It’s probably 75 lumens. Usefully bright with the narrow beam sweep, but not wide enough, and not much throw.
Multiple brightness settings. Top setting should last an hour, middle setting at least five.
<$30 best, max $40
Modified? Not modified? Is this all plug and play, or does changing out LEDs and so on require skill?
The UltraFire XM-L and Cyclone C88 look very similar. Is there a reason to spend $10 more on the Cyclone? How’s the beam width compare? I noticed some digs against DX in the other thread, I wonder if that should be a factor.
SAiK SA-305 Inexpensive, spray the reflector with Krylon Clear Acrylic, makes wide beam that will be smooth and even. Could be modified and still be under $40. Someone could walk you through it if you wanted to learn, or someone could mod it for you. Plenty of modders here. Even with an XM-L T6 and a linear driver, it's still below $40. Not a bad light as is, if the reflector is sprayed, to even out the beam.
Here's a small Flood to Throw I haven't tried it, but it's the long and thin style 3AA. Should be fairly bright as is and the beam is adjustable.
Might want to search for a source other than DX. They are still hit or miss with long shipping times.