theyâre gone. Since itâs a Costco-exclusive it also tends to tell me this is a market test. Either way having one now is better than not having one later.
Btw, you might want to edit the title so it identifies this Coast model as an HP550. Just a suggestion.
and went through about 40 lights to find the tint and hotspot I wanted for two more HP550âs. So now I got one pretty dang warm one, and two cool and tight as they get throwers. Vast majority of the oneâs I tested had a close to NW to flat-out warmer tint.
People were walking by giving a look like WTF is this guy doing will all these things laying outside their display boxes while Iâm torching off and comparing each one on high against a concrete floor and a white box background. Sh*t, by the end of that session I was not only seeing stars, I didnât realize my eyes were checking out old ladies. Only a hardcore flasher does this sort of thing. :cowboy_hat_face:
This is where 15 minute fast chargers are useful. Sure, they very seriously reduce cycle life, but even if you only get 100 decent cycles out of NiMH rechargeables, you still save a ton of money.
I still use my Varta 15 minute charger with my Varta cells occasionally (I treat my Eneloops with much more respect). It comes in quite handy.
Actually, D cells are not really THAT expensive. You can get a pack of two Tenergy NiMH D cells for $15. Thatâs not much more than retail for four Eneloop (or any other brand) AA batteries. Throw in a couple of 2xAA adaptors to TRY to make those AA batteries into D batteries, and you are probably higher than $15. Not to mention that you are still only at half the capacity with much more internal resistance. And no, Eneloop doesnât sell D batteries, at least in the US. But Iâm perfectly happy with my Tenergy Centuras. Theyâre certainly no less of a battery than Eneloops.
Anyway, batteries aside, I would certainly LOVE to have this light. But it doesnât look like Iâll EVER be able to get my hands on one. Here in Northern California, they are simply not available. Costco says that they were supposed to have gotten their shipment in on November 7. But 10 days later, NOTHING! Not only that, but they are listed as a âdiscontinued itemâ. So unless I am willing to drive to Bakersfield (about 300 miles one way), it doesnât look like I will be buying this one.
looks like the flashlight world is close to offering the mainstream 1000lm lights, if not already, 1000lm lights for mainstream did not even exist when i got my BC40 last year. time to upgrade, lol. if my local costco has this, i would get it, but more around the 30-40 dollar range
Itâs almost going to be a shame when people can walk into their local department store and buy a 1000 lumen light. It means Iâll have to start edcâing my SRK when I want to show off.
Some thoughts on this. I donât like D-rechargeables. Theyâre not really all that common and most chargers if theyâre even available canât handle but a couple at a time - and they tend to be Big A heavy chargers too. So if Iâm out in the sticks, or lets say weâre in a disaster situation, or Iâm out just traveling about, and I need to get my Dâs recharged I bet I would have a tough time getting it done if Iâm on the move or my charger needs AC current. Then I might as well just tote D-alkalines in case this happens which would be just doubling the weighty fun.
However, AAâs are the most common size battery in the world and a heckuva lot more household chargers are around to handle them. So my odds of getting a refuel go up significantly. If Iâm going to tote around rechargeable Dâs I might as well tote around 26650âs and get some real power out of the deal besides less weight. And if I absolutely should need Dâs for whatever reason I have 6 super-light 2 x AA adapters in my bag thatâll get me by in a pinch. May not be optimal, but itâll get me by. Now with that in mind try and use Dâs in a torch or electronic that requires AAâs. Good luck, McGyver. I also pack the same adapters for Câs because those can show up in electronics.
With regards to the most common U.S. flashlight that uses Dâs that being MagLite, I still have that covered with the AA adapters. Again, may not be optimal but at least itâs functionally covered.
At this stage of lithium technology I find that 18650âs are the skinny for lumen bang for the buck to weight ratio. I have a bunch of those. I also have 4 x Intellicharger I4âs which beautifully run on DC current and are relatively lightweight and compact. These also charge AA NiMh with aplomb.
Basically, I think D-cell rechargeables and D-alkalines donât belong in torches we tend to use unless we have no other choice. Thankfully, we do though. Eventually I see Dâs going the way of the Dodo Bird.
Actually, a typical charger that can handle D batteries will charge four at a time - the same as a typical AA charger. True, they are somewhat bigger than a typical âplug in the wallâ variety AA charger. And you wonât find one that can charge 12 at a time (like Tenergyâs AA charger). But I would HARDLY call my Tenergy TN190 âBig Aâ or âheavyâ. Also, itâs certainly every bit as capable of charging batteries âout in the sticksâ or on the run as any AA charger. Maybe even more so than most. After all, I can use a power inverter with ANY charger. But one thing I CAN do with my TN190 which I CANâT do with a typical âplug in the wallâ AA charger is run it straight off 12 volts. The charger itself actually runs off a plug-in adaptor or cigarette lighter plug rather than NEEDING to plug into the wall. Of course, it also charges AAA, AA, C, and 9V batteries.
I should also note that toting around D-alkalines is NOT a viable alternative to NiMH batteries. The truth is that D-alkalines are little better than AA alkalines in terms of ability to crank out the amps. For instance, if you try to use D-alkalines in a ROP Maglite, you will get little to no more light from either the 3854H or 3854L than from the Mag Xenon bulb. You need NiMH to get those bulbs to put out. And a NiMH D can EASILY crank out 25+ amps if need be. There is pretty much no other even somewhat common battery out there that can do this that isnât MUCH bigger and heavier than a D cell.
Yes, lights that take D cells tend to be bigger and heavier than lights that run on AA batteries (at least those that run on, say, 1, 2, or 3 of them). But itâs a tradeoff in terms of runtime and ability to provide BIG amps. However, in the case of the HP550, those 9AA batteries with the adaptor probably take up MORE room and are at least as heavy as three D batteries. In the end, I would still buy the light in a heartbeat if I could actually get it (local Costcos donât stock it, Southern California Costcos wonât ship it to me, and Costco doesnât sell it online). But I would DEFINITELY prefer it with three D batteries to 9 AA batteries (even though I certainly have enough NiMH AAs on hand to run the thing).
No joy here,no costco near me looks like coast redeemed themselves with this one.9aa is alot,this sucker must be fairly heavy.I wonder if they will put these in other stores with the costco ones as a market feeler.
In any case, I have to admit that your comparisons to D-powered lights are a little âapples to orangesâ, if you know what I mean. Provided that lumen ratings on this light are true, I would expect a 1000 lumen light to be brighter than an 800 lumen TK60 or a 131 lumen 3D Maglite LED. As for size and weight, 3 Duraloops weigh 3oz, while one Tenergy Centura D weighs 5oz. This means 9oz for AAs and 15oz for D batteries, or a difference of 6oz. Of course, D batteries donât need a holder, which will save some weight. D batteries are also a little longer. But then again, the holder certainly adds length to those AAs vs just three stacked on one another. How much, I donât know. After all, Iâm not able to get ahold of an HP550 here in Norcal. So I canât measure or weigh things unfortunately . But I would be willing to bet that any difference is not enough to worry about, especially considering that you would get 33% more runtime from Ds (since four AAs is equivalent to one D).
The one area where I have to admit you did get me is diameter. A 3D Mag is about as thin as you want a 3D light to be. But once again, I would be willing to deal with this for the sake of longer runtime.
And once again, I would DEFINITELY buy this light given the opportunity. As far as the battery thing goes, there are ALWAYS ways that a product could be better to serve our individual needs. But any 1000 lumen light for $49 is okay in my book!
because as mentioned polarity doesnât matter. Both ends have the exact 1/8â protruding brass-cap style contacts with the positive in the middle in the form of a triangular u-bent protrusion. Thatâs one way designers kept this torch as compact as it is even when zoomed-out. No big tailcap spring like the MagLite IOW to handle the weight and sliding momentum of those Dâs. Although of course the Magâs spring does compress a lot so that deal is prolly not so much a big deal.
Btw, as I was checking out yesterday the young buck cashier got really interested in it. He ended up buying one after Lumatic planted the seed of flashaholicism in his unsuspecting fertile mind.