I just spent 30 minutes writing up a big intro and i got up from my pc and my mouse dropped and it closed my browser and i lost it all.
Anyhow ive been into lights a month now and started out of at the Candle forums, But just didn't feel like i fit in except for one nice guy who helped me alot. After reading reviews here you guys sound alot like me and appreciate a $20 object that works as well or better than a $100 one. But i wont skimp in chargers that take care of my cells as thats like throwing money down a hole. And i dont like being looked down on with my Trustfire flamed 2400's and told i need AW's or my lights wont work right. But if i find a light that is like that ill buy the AW, But not before then.
I do NiMH and Li-Ion and prefer the latter. I do like the more relaxed rules here about links and talking about vender's at will.
My first light was an Olight M20s and it got me started on this path. Then i picked up a SolarForce L2r and an Ultrafire close of the Sipik. I also have two light on US soil from DX headed my way. One is the Small Sun ZY-A21 Cree Q3-WC so i have a use for all these AA NiMH high end Eneloops,Duraloops and Imediums and Powerex 2700's. I like batteries also, Its a great side hobby almost all by itself. Thats all managed by my BC-9009 charger which is priceless if you are gonna use rechargeable batteries. The second one coming is the BeamTech T6 Cree XM-LT6 5-Mode, Its the one im really looking forward too. I picked both of these lights before i found this site, So i think i could have done a bit better on these two choices. But overall they fit the needs i wanted filled to take advantage of my batteries i own.
Then on the Li-ion side i have all Trustfire flame 18650's and 14500's and a Pila charger. I know my chargers aren't so frugal, But somethings require not skimping on. Anyhow i LOVE Li-ion cells and lights and i lean towards them as much as possible. I do use CR123's but not rechargables, Too low of a capacity imo and if one cr123 cant do the job a 18650 can.
I have a computer modding background in voltage and cooling modification driven by some 20 year old EE schooling. So i know ill want to get into emitter swaps and driver mods so i can make my lights work EXACTLY like i want them too.
But im still a 1 month noob to torches, So if you see me say something dangerous or dumb please tell me as ive grown attached to my nine fingers and two thumbs.
I think its too late for that, I even keep my wallet next to my laptop so i dont have to keep getting up when i find something new. But luckily im broke for several days and wont be buying anything new until the 1st. But trust me ill be buying enough stuff even tho i dont know what it is yet.
Take your time buying lights. There is a lot to digest and it is probably best to just get one light at a time and figure out what you like and don't like about it. Then apply that to your next purchase. It is way too easy to buy every light that gets a positive review and you will be out of money in no time and still may not have what you really want. I've never regretted *not* buying a light because there is always something else around the corner that will be better, cheaper, brighter, or whatever.
I think you'll definitely like it here and thanks for checking in. I'll show off a budget light and people will ask me what I paid for it. When I tell them it was $22 they think that sounds like a lot of money. They're used to paying $10 for an incan Maglite or a plastic Eveready. Once you get 5 or 6 lights like that, it really is expensive!
I agree with you on batteries. I think the lure of rechargeable portable power has always been a draw (long before I got into flashlights) and I've bought a lot of chargers and batteries over the years, including Rayovac's rechargeable alkalines. I'm quite happy with my collection of LSD NiMH's and the Maha C9000 along with a bunch of budget li-ions and my Turnigy hobby charger.
There are always "better" light to buy but the best is the one that fit your need. You are happy with a flashlight? So it's a good flashlight (till next order!).
Im gonna slow down buying until i get to know the two new ones from DX that should arrive in a few days. The SmallSun is a purpose light to get the most use out of my AA rechargeable cells, And the BT XM-L T6 is to get me into 2x 18650 land.
After playing with those as you said i hope to get a better idea of what i want in my next light, But something tells me ill be cutting my torch buying down and trying my hand at drop-in modification and driver and emitter mods. But that may take me quite a bit of reading and research before i can get into that. Plus its not so cost effective doing $20 mods on a $25 light. So ill just have to see what happens when the time comes.
I used to think $20 was crazy expensive for a flashlight, Then i bought a $25 Coleman Cree led 3xAAA 175 lumen light at Wal-Mart to be mounted on my home defense shotgun. I liked it so much it i kept wanting to take it off the shotgun so i could use it around the house. But i felt $25 was again to much to pay until i finally broke down and got a second one. My local knife shop which was my last hobby had Olight's there and i fell in love with the M20s Warrior at $100. its a great light, But not $100's worth. So thats kind of how i ended up in "Budget light" type forums.
I kind of like reliability more than modding so i may skip that as having to buy parts from China when i make a mistake would get real old fast.
I take care of my parents and my mom who is in a hospital bed here at home liked my lights so much she had me buy her a Thrulite for $22 and an upgrade bulb for her 2-D maglight which i put two Sanyo 2500's in with adapters and ordered two more that hold two cells each so it will have more capacity. She was just amazed at how much better her mag-light was and how a $22 light could run on low for so many hours and then blind anyone when needed.
Im pretty sure somewhere id like a good stainless steel light in the 18650 cell range with a nasty tactical bezel. Of course it should work great, But the looks is what i would be after mainly. Ive looked threw SolarForce and can kinda build one but have to use an aluminum body and SS accents, And thats no cheap route to take.
Thanks for all the welcomes and its nice to meet you all likewise!
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