Hi from Poland

I’ve already make my two posts here and have been welcomed on these forums but just for the sake of formality I’ll make a short introduction. I haven’t had any particular flashlight history because I never bothered to look for quality lights, I just used whatever cheap stuff was available and worked. Many years ago I used them quite a lot, especially that I was a boy scout, did a lot of mountain hiking and sometimes orienteering at night so some tools for artificial light were indispensable. My best experiences were when me with a group of friends did orienteering in the 1990s and each of us made a headlamp for running in the forest. Those were entirely self made devices for which we used whatever was available at home. We used halogen lamps for them - 10, 20 or 50 watts and a 12V gel lead acid battery that was worn on the back. Those were really powerful at the time when LEDs were not yet used. They easily outperformed expensive professional equipment that was available for this particular purpose, except that the battery was a bit heavier but we didn’t mind it.

Now I’ve figured out I need a few good torches because I’ve always had some cheap ones that either didn’t work well or quickly stopped working. I started experimenting with budget lights, much more budget than even those on these budget light forums… These are my recent torches:

  • Silverpoint - VX III Torch (90 lumens, 2 x AA)
  • Philips SFL4002T/10 (110 lumens, 2 x AA)
  • Energizer Metal Vision HD (400 lumens, 2 x AA)

And I’ve just received Convoy T3 (the 4 mode version) - I’m still testing it but for now I can say the build quality is exceptional.

Unfortunately, I’m not fond of rechargeable torches but nowadays those are most developed and popular. I don’t think they are bad but for my use case throwaway batteries are better - I’m not a heavy torch user, sometimes I need one for hiking at night for short periods and some rare use around the house or in/around the car so what I need is a reliable torch that is waiting ready to be used whenever I need it. I also notice how consumer expectations have changed over the years - we used weak (by todays standards) incandescent lights probably around 10-20 lumens and we were able to do all kinds of wild things at night out in the wild without any problem. And now people say 100 lumens is not enough to go on a mountain trail or even walk a dog. But that’s what happens in every area of our lives where technology moves forward and so our perception of what we need also changes.

Having said that, I really enjoy 400 lumens on a mountain trail but I don’t feel I need to strive for more lumens at all cost. For now, I’m on a vigil for nice primary cell torches and I hope manufacturers will not abandon them any time soon.

Welcome!

Siemanko.

Welcome aboard.

Welcome to BLF Melon! The Convoy T3 seems like a great flashlight.

Welcome Melon.

What I do with my lights is just twist the battery tube to break the circuit. Use the light once in a while to keep the battery actively working. Lights I’ve had for over a year are still good to go. but I’m not a heavy user.
Also you can look into lights with onboard charging and treat them the same way. As long as there is not a drain on the battery and you use it once in a while they seem to hold a good charge.
Li-ion batteries have 500 to 1000 charge cycles. So way more bang for your buck in all aspects. Can draw more power to give more light and cheaper than the equivalent 500 batteries……
Also, it’s not just about the brightness, there are lights that can throw the light further than you expect.
Do some research and ask some questions if you get confused, this place is an awesome resource.

After a while everything you figured you knew about lights will be turned upside down. :slight_smile:

Interesting, I’ve never heard of the idea to keep batteries active, what’s the purpose? I know some mechanical things need to be regularly used to keep them in good shape like cars, but do batteries need it? Also, if I have a light without parasitic drain then what would be the purpose of breaking the circuit?

Yeah, one thing about lights has already turned upside down for me - I thought with the recent advances in technology I’d be able to find a perfect torch for me. But it seems the more I search and the more I buy the perfect torch is always “almost” within reach only to find out it has a tiny flaw that I can’t forget about. I’ve read other people have the same problem. I think I’ll have to keep some discipline, otherwise I’ll end up with a collection of torches most of which I won’t need nor use! :slight_smile:

It may do nothing at all. Mechanical lockout is to prevent accidental activations (if carried in a bag or pocket) and prevent parasitic drain. A mechanical switch will not have a drain but can still be accidentally activated if something presses against it, not an issue if just sitting on a shelf.

I just cycle through the lights to use them instead of having them sit around gathering dust. Usually end up using each about once every month or two, some more often. It also allows me to monitor the status of the battery so the voltage does not get too low and damage the cell.

welcome…

our neighbors adopted a boy from Poland
years and years ago when things were bad.

he is super-successful in real estate.
well, right now, EVERYone is.

Welcome to BLF !