I keep buying lights HOPING they will be skin melting bright AND spot light type…single bright centered beam of light i mean. the closest i have after spending much of my disabled vet money that cant really afford…and dont feel like explaining to wife haha… but light that is like i like is a Tasco 250 lumen…but i got a TWEAKED UltraFire xml-t6 rated at approx 1040 lumen BUT…it is NOT spotlight beam type…it is white light with a square inside of light beam…so not like my Tasco…arghhhh….i NEED a Tact type light no bigger than 5.5 inches that is a massive br8ght BEAM of light…not a square beam of light persay…if ya know what i tryin to say. sorry for long post but sooo tired of getting wrong types due to my lack of knowledge…and i dont need all the multi functions…just high beam or high an low only with tailcap push button…. help please
here is info of newest WRONG light
ULTRAFIRE SB-4 (830) TACTICAL 5 Mode Adjustable Focus (Zoom) 1052 Lumen CREE XM-L U2 LED Flashligh
Probally the best buck-per-lumen light with a good throw “spot” would be a Solarstorm/Fandyfire Warrior 3-XM-L.
It has a great throw for a light that can be found for less than 40 bucks in some places. (but it requires 3 18650 cells)
if your budget is higher, then go for a BTU Shocker, Thrunite TN31, etc.
if you prefer traditional Cells like Alcalines, than a good smaller palm sized light like a Nitecore EA4 is a good choice with a good spot beam.
Alright, well I found that light you bought. $30 can get you a heck of a lot better light than that Ultrafire! Anyway, you’ve found your way to a very valuable resource now (BLF).
You don’t want a zoomable light, that’s clear, but a few questions to try and prevent suggestions from going far off the course….
Do you want a pocketable light? Ie is head size a factor for you? The larger diameter lights will throw the light further and be more concentrated in the center but obviously more difficult to carry.
What type of batteries are you looking to utilize? Lithium-ion, alkaline, NiMH?
What kind of runtime are you looking for? Some favorite lights here will practically melt your hand within a few minutes from the heat generated from the massive amount of light they output.
yes…i need one about 5.5 inches or so for my belt holder…i use a cane an several various body braces to get around from injuries etc so yes…pocket or belt size…head size could be like 1.75 etc…not a big multi battery one. i dont care what type battery…just need it for upclose usage an not far away stuff…i dont use it for massive amounts of continuous runtimes….so i will take ANY suggestions you have and THANK YOU for being patient with me…
Mea Culpa. My post didn't sound like I wanted it to... I simply meant to advise you to stop spending money on stuff and read some to get an idea. Then you will have a much better idea.
I, too thank you for your service.
For the money - just grab a cheap C8. Tons of cheap mods you can do to make it a wow light.
Something in the Convoy S series might be perfect for you.
I like the Convoy S2 personally.
Review here:
Great price:quality ratio in Convoy flashlights, and you can get a good charger and a good 18650 cell for around $30 total (flashlight, charger, battery).
C8 is great. A great starter rig that can be modded to whatever you chose. I have several.
Also check around for something that has a P60 drop in. They are equally fun & easy starter lights. I also like the Ultrafire 502B light. Great value!! Following is a link to a member who usually has a few already modded for sale.
How about a battery charger?? Nitecore I4 is great too. And batteries?? look into some lights that use a 18650.
The name for that feature is “flood”, and its inverse is “throw”, which is what a lot of contributors here prefer. It can be challenging to find a good “flooder”, at least for me.
The C8 is a “thrower”, but the ones I’ve had are useful up close too. Your zoomie may already be able to give you some light close-enough for now until something better comes along. Have you tried zooming it in & out to see if that “square” gets any bigger?
The amount of time you need to use it between battery changes is called “runtime”, and is totally your call. On all night? On for a few moments at a time? Somewhere in between I’m guessing.
A reflector light will have a bright center spot and a dimmer spill area around it. A well focused aspheric will produce a tight square beam(it actually beams an image of the led die which is square) a TIR solid plastic optic is capable of producing an smooth even beam with a larger center spot and an even dimmer spill area and it sounds like this might be what you want but not sure. The most common TIR size is 20mm but larger and smaller ones can be had. They fit well in AA Maglite mods.
For any of the “roll-of-nickels” lights, if you want more Flood, you can add one of these optics to open up the beam… It’s not as hard as it seems, and if you want that & can’t do the work, I will do it for you for no charge, if you cover parts & postage. (No, that’s not worth thanking me for, it’s easy and well worth my time just to see how “that model” works)
EDIT: Sorry, I didn’t check that M1 before I replied. That’s a big-head thrower, not really a flooder, so …
My offer still stands, but the TIR I mentioned won’t come close to fitting in an M1.
I’m most certainly not trying to suggest anything or shill for anybody, but if you were interested in a “roll-of-nickels” form factor from Convoy, one of the better models just went on sale (or not, it’s apparently a little confused)