We bought the family farm and are retiring to it in the very near future. I would like to make sure I’m on the right track for purchasing a thrower(s) (one for me and the Mrs.) flashlight. I would like to have 2 decent throwers for looking out over the pastures (eastern Oklahoma) to make sure I can see what’s messing with my cattle/animals/land. Is it the local meth-head causing the ruckus (who I’ve told I will shoot on sight)? Or is it an animal/coyote/bobcat/pack of wild dogs/Chupacabra messing with my animals (All have been warned they will be shot on sight especially that damned Chupacabra)? Or, are the high school kids just out drinking out past where the blacktop ends? Who knows?
I want to know! I want to put the spotlight and fear of ALMIGHTY GOD on/in them! I want to stand on the porch and send a beam of light at them so bright they will pee their pants. I also don’t want to cry when the light goes missing. I’ve tried to do a bit of lazy research… from what I’ve gathered the “go to” budget option a, la, 2018, was the convoy c8+. It was the $20-$30 thrower that would meet my needs. It’s been a minute or two since then… I still have my Covid decorations up and we are in WAR WITH RUSSA season. But, I digress…
Anyway, like I said. Short story long. I can spend a bunch of time (that I should be doing something else) trying to understand the minutiae of thrower flashlights or I could spend a few min writing an amusing story about what I want to accomplish an consult the hive mind of the BLF. The nice folks there have forgotten more about flashlights (or torches, for our Brit friends) than I will ever know. So I throw my self and my budget on your mercy and ask for a 2022 recommendation for a thrower light that will either make the local meth-head shit himself or scare the Chupacabra’s away. I’m sure with a budget of $1000 I could literally make that happen. But my meager budget is as small as you can imagine. There is a lot of farm equipment that needs a fixen’. So what would you do? How would you accomplish the mission?
How mqny meters if throw do you think you need? C8 with a w2/sft40 could do the trick for up to around 250-300 meters. Then youll need heavier artillery!
Convoy L7, closer to $100 but good throw with a decent flood. Comes with the SBT90.2. The L8 may or not be better, but I do like my L7.
Plus the size is manageable, for me.
I can’t see clearly at night much past 250 yards. So, 250-300 meters should be fine. C8 with a W2/sft40? Hate to be such a noob, but can you dumb that down just a tad. I’m handy with a soldering iron and I’m used to buying small parts from China for my CNC machine and other projects. But I’m not sure what W2 and SFT40 mean. Should I be googling part numbers. I just don’t speak the language. Thanks for your imput, time and help!
1. Budget as small as you can imagine to get the job done. Call it $40 per light.
2. The furthest fence is 200 acers… a quick google search tells me that’s 12,600 meters… But I can’t see that far in the day let alone at night. Let’s call it 300 meters at night.
3. I don’t mind buying from China right now.
Excellent Recommendation Thank you!!! I googled the Convoy L7 and the YouTube videos of the beam shot are exactly what I’m looking for…. That would scare the piss out of me at 3 am. However, It’s a bit pricy. Do you know if the 8+ is in the ballpark? Because I won’t cry over 25 bucks. I get weepy around $100.
I would say grab a astrolux FT03 and a good 26650 for good run time and reach. it is not pocket able but it will also reach out past 300 yards for ID of what is causing the ruckus.
Run time and reach is what you are asking for with out knowing it. I do a bit of the what is out there past the 100 yards or so distance. It is funny how many things think you can not see them at that distance. (2 legged critters.)
One of the major issues when looking out that far in the dark is all the stuff in the air. We think everything is clear and clean until the lights come on and that beam looks like a light saber. LOL
Awesome recommendation! Thanks! I don’t know what I don’t know. But it sound like you know what I don’t know. Thank you for reading between the lines and seeing around the corners that I didn’t even know where there. I’ll look in to the Astroux FT03. Do you have any other recommendations that take 18650 cells? I forgot to mention that that’s my preferred cell since I got a bunch of them for a DIY electric bike build that never panned out.
The C8+ is cheaper, around $30 or $40. Runs on a smaller battery and is a smaller flashlight, those mean that the brightness will not last as long because they are designed to lower the light level for heat management to protect the battery (and your hand).
If you want a flashlight that is good for 300 yards, look for one that is good for at least 600. That way 300 yard objects will be more visible.
The terms W2, SST20, SBT90.2 etc are the different types of LED’s in the light. Some give better light for closer and wider (known as floodlight), some are better for throwing light (throwers). Takes a while to figure which is which.
It also comes down to other things, a bigger reflector will generally give more distance. The amperage the battery can put out. The amperage the LED needs to work at maximum efficiency. And other things.
I know the L7 would work, the C8+ may work and others will recommend other lights. You can try the cheaper ones and if they do what you need you are ahead of the game. Or you can go with a more expensive option that is a known entity and bite the bullet. You have to decide your comfort level. People here have multiple lights because there is no “ideal light”, only lights that are ideal for “the situation/need”
I’m a relative newcomer to the community, there is a lot of knowledge here. Check out all the pro’s and con’s of ones recommended and likely one will stand out from others…… for now…. Good Luck!
I have a few of the lights mentioned. I think the FT03 is a very capable, economical choice. Used to be able to get one from BG USA Warehouse in less than a week but probably have to come from overseas now.
200 acres isn’t a linear distance. An acre is 43,560 sq feet. The square root of that is 208.71, so a square acre is ~ 208’ x 208’. The square root of 200 (acres) is 14.14, so if it were a square property consisting of 200 acres in total, it would be 14 acres x 14 acres. 14 x 208.71 = ~2922 feet. From corner to corner diagonally it would be 1.4 times that, so 4,312’ max.
But regardless, 300 meters or ~1,000 feet is a realistic goal.
LOL! Thanks. That’s my public school education on display for internet posterity. Thanks for the clarification. I know the number google spit out seemed “out of whack”. All I know is I can’t see that far and really can’t see that far at night.
Thank you for taking the time to respond. I’m pretty sure that’s the direction I’m heading. Just wanted some confirmation I’m on the right track. Thank you.
I agree. I think I’m headed in the right direction, but I wanted to make sure there isn’t some ultra new wiz bang thing I’m missing. Thanks for taking the time to respond.
