An interesting quote from Old Lumens...what do you think?

Flashlight Modding and DIY Parts
21

OMG! I really have to watch what I say around this place don't I? I never thought I would be quoted in a thread and put on display like that. It's rather disconcerting and actually it's somewhat upsetting. I never meant it to be the center of today's discussion group.

I do not carry lights around, that's true. I am not a flashaholic. I only look at a lot of lights and "my eyes", (for my eyes only ), tell me this. In the low increments, (from 1 to 100 lumens), I can see differences, like going from 10 lumens to 60 lumens. Well, OK, that's a 6x increase, so it should be noticeable. When I look at a 100 lumen light and a 300 lumen light, I can tell the difference. That's a 3x increase. But, when I get to that 1000 lumen point, then it becomes all muddled. 1000 lumens is "bright as hell" and if it is a floody light, (the only style as far as I am concerned), then going from 1000 lumens to 2000 lumens is not such a radical change. 1000 lumens already hurts my eyes and robs my night vision, so it's like, "wow it's bright" and "ow that hurts", so move on. It's great for just a minute and it becomes useless, as I can't see anything past the area of illumination any more. When I get to 3000 lumens or more, I just feel it's totally useless in everyday life. Not only do you blind everyone about you, but you blind yourself.

I feel that high powered lights are nothing more than useless toys for boys, but that's what we do don't we? We want the fastest car, or the biggest house, or the most powerful RC plane, etc, etc, etc. It's what we do, so calling it for what it is, should not be of concern. It's the truth and obviously, there's nothing wrong with that, in the male mentality, so why take offense of it?

The reason I add power to lights? Easy, in hopes of selling them easier. That's the reason plain and simple. When I make a low powered light, it does not go over well, but when I make a high powered light out of any light, it's WOW! So, I cater to demand to some extent, but I still resist it.

Lastly, the older I get, the more resistant to change I am. This is because I know change leads to aging and I don't like it, so as things change in my world, then I know I am changing and I grow to hate it. Doesn't mean it's right or wrong, just means it is the way it is.

22

Careful OL, you’re just giving us more “quotable quotes!” LOL!!

I sure didn’t mean to offend or upset you…you just said what I used to think, and to some degree, still do think. I could’ve quoted anyone, but you said it the best. Modding flashlights really has to be for the enjoyment of it, at the end of the day, or it wouldn’t be worthwhile would it?

Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us!!

23

People here love to pick fly ‘stuff’ out’ the pepper. :slight_smile:

I also agree on the super high power lights for looking at anything very close. They are handy for some things though. I live on a river and have used high power lights to search for people stranded in the river and on a nearby island.

Boys and their toys goes a long way to explain super powerful lights. While women look for shoes and purses we buy high horsepower cars, and high tech guns, golf clubs, fishing equipment etc. always looking for an edge and frankly bragging rights. It wasn’t any different in ancient times. People excavating ancient artifacts find huge finely crafted spear points and knives with no practical use other than, bragging rights. As I said, “It’s all good.” :bigsmile:

24

^

This.. +1

(I made the quote a bit shorter)

25

Yeah OL… I’ve got to agree (mostly). The lights I use 95% of the time are of the 70-300 lumen/flood variety.
Living in a highly-urbanized country there is really not much need for a 400Kcd monster; so my K40Vn gets put into service to impress friends usually :bigsmile:
It’s a guy thing, I guess… just like many women I know just love have a closet full of shoes (like my wife).
They have their thing and we have ours. Isn’t that great?

26

FOR OLD LUMENS! ,I didn’t copy it right!

I feel that high powered lights are nothing more than useless toys for boys, but that’s what we do don’t we?
*

Tell that to someone doing SAR ? :open_mouth:

We all have different preferences, views and opinions,but there are uses for high powered torches!! :slight_smile:

I love them,I am a turbo freak! lol!

I use my TK-75 and BST to walk my Siberian!! :wink: Wait a minute,these are on wooded trails and isolated country roads where all we see are wildlife.

27

I sort of agree. There’s only a handful of flashlights I see that benefit a bit from overmodding such as the STL-V6, K40, BTU and TN31. I mean if you are spending already 100-200 bucks on a flashlight and paying 100-200 bucks on modding it. Might as well go DIY HID and light half the countryside up while walking. Why buy ever new mod or the next 2-3 similar lights to mod? Just step up and buy a polarion or DIY 100 watt HID spotlight or 85w fleabay HID. They fleabay is around 85 bucks with free shipping and beat any non modded BTU, TK70 etc around and prob. best bang for your buck besides a HD2010 and C8.

28

- Modding Flashlights is the same as Overclocking computers to make them faster and more powerful, modding cars to make them faster and more powerful, modding boats for the same.
its the satisfaction of “making somthing better, or more powerful” , regardless if the cost, time, and frustration somtimes outweigh the gains.
its what humans do. :slight_smile:

29

this has been discussed in many threads, including this one

read my explanation in post 53, or better yet read the entire thread

30

Old-Lumens, careful indeed, as folks here hold your value quite highly and respect your skill/craftsmanship :slight_smile:

I like bright lights, they tie in with two activities of mine, Rescue Officer for an Emergency Services as a volunteer and for exploration.
The more light, the better, as it’s easy enough to run at a lower level of light.

31

Just imagine telling a friend ur beast mod J12/J18 has a max runtime of 10 minutes or it nukes. He knowingly disobeys u and run it a hour or so. Imagine those 26650 batteries near empty in there with the body tube temp of 50 degrees Celsius. Doubling the lumens just to show off 10 minutes is not worth the danger.

32

I reckon that we should just let OL get on with what he does best without any fuss. He voiced an opinion like we all do at times and viola. Has anyone thought how he now feels? Lets all move on guys and enjoy the forum for what it is.

33

I don't think tallboybass or anyone else here was picking on O-L. Most everyone here respects and appreciates O-L. He is clearly a thoughtful, intelligent, skilled, and unselfish man and this forum benefits from it.

I think tallboybass had a legitimate question that he felt O-L expressed very well. It's a good question. I have felt the way O-L did in that quote at times. I don't think O-L's quote is anything to be embarrassed about.

I on the other hand have said quite a few things that ended up be factually wrong or embarrassing. At times I received some heat for them and deserved it in some cases. This is a public forum and if one posts here they should expect their comments to generate discussion at times. If we can't debate with each other in a respectful manner, we lose an opportunity to grow.

34

I think this is a great sentiment and should be something we all consider doing, or at least something similar.

It’s all too easy to think a light is under performing or not as bright as we’d hope, be it modded or stock. But I think it’s all to easy to forget just how far LED flashlights have actually come in very short order.

A double AA Mini Mag incan is a great point of reference, as in it’s day it was considered quite bright. And a highly usable torch. But it’s beam pales by even most moonlight modes today. And sometimes I think we need reminding of this.

35

Thanks, I was definitely not picking on OL or wanting him to feel bad, quite the opposite. He expressed what I felt when I first came to BLF. After reading a bunch of modding posts I thought, “why don’t they just buy a brighter light if they need more light?” But I most certainly get it now! I knew that hearing one of our most respected brothers say what he did would make us all think, and it looks like it has.

Thanks for this wonderful forum!

36

What about purpose built lights? EG: my 3A lights may overheat indoors, so they are not for that. They are for use outdoors in cool weather, and in those circumstances they are barely warm to the touch, and therefore exhibit the increased performance characteristics you’d expect. Wouldn’t be much point in having a quiver of lights if they were all the same.

37

I want hi cri and and a great tint ...which is glaringly obvious to everyone ..... vs ....a higher lumens number that is virtually impossible to detect.

I have lights that make people say ....WOW

and lights that make ME say .....ahh !!!

The first thing a noob says on BLF is he wants the biggest brightest thing out there ..

38

39

Oh no, Grumpy Cat, NO!!!

{8^0)

40

If a light can't be made to handle the heat there is not much use modding it to be a monster and you are better off making it more useful by focusing on tint and UI. When I first started modding I did a fair amount of that and learned from my mistakes. It was fun seeing what I could make a light do but not very useful really. So I agree when it comes to many lights.

Several lights can be made into monsters or improved greatly because they have the capacity to handle the heat and are underdriven to begin with. For instance there is no reason to put up with the anemic output of a J-19 when it can be made into a monster and it can handle the heat. Why would anyone carry around a huge light like that if it's not going to perform like a monster? With this mod I improved the tint, throw, flood, UI and turned it into a monster that I use for spotting deer with. (not shooting just scouting)