Darnit…I was so gonna use that 
Hi all,
Thanks for the entertaining welcome!
I've spent the past week browsing the site, and must say that I'm gonna be surrounded by vertical learning curves for a while.
I'm a little disheartened by the thread about fake emitters. I've read the entire thread and branches thereof, and now have a rudimentary understanding of whet to look for.
I'll be posting some noob questions in appropriate forums for a time, so please bear with me, and thanks for the schooling!
Briefly:
I see modding in the not-too-distant future. Much of my previous life was a hardware Tech on copiers & printers. I've flashed thousands of copiers, printers, scanners and NIC's with firmware, so all I have to do is learn the interfaces and locate the files.
I have a basic understanding of color temps, less so of CRI but that will come with time.
Later in my career I was in a gig as Network Analyst for xerox. I cringe now because of all the laptops/battery packs we disposed of that could have been harvested for cells. I'm still coming to terms with cell sizes and such. The compatibility of some flashlights re: length of protected vs non-protected cells, flat tops working in a specific light yes/no/maybe, etc. will be a stumbling block for me until I get a better handle on cell formats.
A Surefire Stylus Pro currently on sale at Cabela's for $14.99 hasn't popped my flashlight cherry just yet, but it did get to third base. Eyes are gettin' glassy & I'm breathing hard anyway. But now I find that I want more! And so the affliction begins...
Welcome to BLF slmjim! I hated it when those Duracells leaked in my old flashlights. Supposedly they were the best batteries, right? Now with NiMH and lithium ions, that’s no longer a worry.
And WOW emarkd, that’s an awesome looking flashlight!