Brightest <$15 thrower I can get on Amazon?

LED Flashlights – General Info
1

Hi, I’m in the middle of nowhere without any decent light to find a BAT in an outdoor garage that is freaking me out

All I have with me is a cheap maybe 40 lumen AAA mini light and my cell phone. Sigh.

After digging through Amazon fake reviews last night I thought one of you might just know the answer. I asked this question elsewhere and got zero response.

I just want bright and cheap. I don’t care about looks, durability, tacticalness, or anything else but bright throw. I just want to get it from Amazon because they deliver where I am. Would prefer 18650 because I have a few of those with me now as well as a charger.

I want to try to spot the evil demon inside the garage from as far away outside as possible.

No I don’t want to spend “a little more” I want cheap, less than $15 please? Maybe $16.

2

It's a pleasure to know you, aston4!

3

@aston4:

Would you be interested in a zoomie?

Sometimes they're cheap, and they can throw well.

4

What on earth is a zoomie?

5

Zoomies are flashlights where you can choose mostly flood, or mostly throw, or somewhere in between.

This thread has a lot of information about zoomies, but I don't personally know of any cheap ones (that are great) on Amazon:

https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/41081

They're also known as flood-to-throw flashlights or sometimes zoomables.

6

there was a thread here recently with some awesome sub $20 lights on amazon, and it has some zoomies too. hold please, im looking for it now.

7

The biggest problem with using a zoomie for throw is that they have absolutely no spill.

If that's a deal breaker, you'll be better off with a thrower.

But finding a nice thrower for $15 on Amazon might be tough.

...

I know most people on BLF love this thrower zoomie, but it's over your budget:

https://www.amazon.com/WOWTAC-Flashlight-Zoomable-Adjustable-Resistant/dp/B074V88YD2

8

I prefer some spill.

I’m looking hard at this one:

Amazon

9

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X3L239O

That's not a very good flashlight, and it's not a thrower.

10

One of the reviews said 100 yards throw. Sigh.

11

Throwers typically have much larger heads to accommodate a large reflector.

A large reflector is crucial to provide throw, though there are other factors as well.

Some LED emitters are way better for throw than others.

12

Amazon

This one maybe? It has a 5% off coupon for me.

13

I was just looking at that one!

It's a C8, which is a classic budget thrower.

Some C8's are made much better than others.

The Convoy C8 is a great one, but it's more expensive, especially on Amazon.

(Also, the Convoy C8 on Amazon is actually in China.)

The one you linked to is single mode only.

If you're okay with that, and if the Amazon reviews look good enough for you, then it might be a good choice.

14

Ordered!

Thanks for your help, especially in clueing me in to reflector size vs throw.

If only I knew what to do with the bat when I find it.

15

You could pull an Ozzy Osbourne, try to create Covid-21, or...

Become The Batman!

16

I hope you like it.

If you don't, that particular flashlight (on Amazon) has free returns.

(Not everything on Amazon has that feature.)

If the flashlight really has an XM-L2 emitter, and it's driven hard, then it'll be plenty bright.

An XM-L2 provides a wall of light, but it's not very throwy.

With such a large reflector, however, the flashlight will have decent throw.

17

To switch subjects….hey, leave the bat alone. They are beneficial and eat millions of bugs.
I wish they would be around my house, but too far from water.
The rabies thing is massively over blown.
They will avoid you just fine. They don’t get in your hair. In fact, they are damn hard to catch.
Cute too, it a creepy-leather sort of way.

FWIW, a ‘pure’ thrower may allow you to spot it from far away, but will likely work poorly to track if flying and at closer distance. Some generous spill would be better for that.

18

The ’502 is a fine host, and you can use the pill for whatever you want (emitter/driver). Or get a better drop-in.

That said, just build a proper bat-house (like a bird-house, only for bats), away from the garage. You can use scraps of wood and find instructions online. Bats are incredibly useful at eating bad bugs, etc.

Here ya go…

19

I would GLADLY leave the STUPID BAT alone if it would leave ME alone. It’s constantly swooping at my head, and theoretically if it touches me I’m supposed to get rabies treatment. Screw that. I also ordered an ultrasonic bat repeller, so when I find where the bat hangs out I’ll put the repeller very close. If that doesn’t work, extreme, though sad measures may be necessary.

20

I went to a local ‘bat club’ in the hopes of getting information about bat houses, placement, care, etc.
They were great. Good info, but learned that I was simply too far away from water to likely have bats in my neighborhood. In 35 years I’ve never seen a single one circling a street light. 1 1/2 miles away a large local park on a lake + re-claimed wetland ponds has bat-houses installed around the wetlands area. :+1: