Hi all,
I have read some of the threads on this forum over the last few years but never joined until today. I have found some helpful info here in the past so I decided to finally become a member. I just wanted to introduce myself briefly:
I am a native of the Appalachian Mountains where I spend a lot of time in the outdoors. I do quite a bit of hiking, fly fishing, and foraging for wild plants and mushrooms. I also do a fair bit of camping. Therefore, most of my lighting needs are related to the outdoors and I don’t have as much interest in the “tactical” features.
I have also spent a lot of time dialing in an every day carry system that works for me, which has resulted in me testing quite a few of the popular and affordable EDC lights in AAA and AA size. I am a gear junkie but also budget minded and try to stay somewhat minimalistic in my philsosophy. I try not to become a collector, but I love testing new kit to see if I can optimize the way I do things.
I like lights that are simple, have good battery life, and have a streamlined user interface. Max output and/or a lot of mode options usually aren’t the biggest selling points for me. For example: I carry a Lumintop Tool AA 2.0 most often, and find that it checks all the boxes for me in a compact EDC light. Still trying to find the right larger light that has a bit more juice/power to keep in a backpack or jacket pocket.
I’m hoping to learn a bit more about rechargeable batteries and how to get the best performance from them, and interested in learning a bit more about the different emitter and reflector/optic types. So far, my knowledge has been pretty surface-level.
Welcome!
As someone testing out what works for me over a long time, I’m really liking AA lights, especially at home. But a Convoy M21A with an SFT40 and diffuser has all the throw or lantern capability I need while traveling and hiking.
I imagine living in the Appalachians would warrant a thrower with 1 KM… at least 600 meters of throw.
Thanks for the welcome! I have a couple of good pocket lights that really work for me (Lumintop Tool AA 2.0 and Thrunite W1) and, as you point out, a headlamp is super important for me since I do some backpacking and and camping and find myself in the woods overnight. Thankfully I have a headlamp that suits my needs really well. I have been using the Fenix HM50R for 5 years now and I love it. It really ended the headlamp search for me. The new v2.0 with an additional red LED looks nice and I may upgrade eventually, but the older version is still going strong and I haven’t felt the need to upgrade.
I have a Convoy S3 (519A, 4500k) in the mail that should be here in the next few days, and I’m hoping that will be my bigger light with a bit more juice and power. I won’t be carrying it in a pants pocket, but it will probably live in packs and jacket pockets when camping.
That means the one hole in my small selection is a thrower. I haven’t ever used a thrower because I haven’t felt the need for one. I have always used lights with balanced to somewhat floody beams because it makes more sense to illuminate my general campsite area then a concentrated spot plus, the terrain is hilly and the foliage is so dense that you can’t really see very much 1km away even in the daytime. Still, I think I would like to test a thrower and that will be my next task after playing with the Convoy S3.
I am trying to decide what kind of beam pattern and fuel source I want in a thrower. Currently thinking one with a bit of spill would be nice, so I can still use it as a somewhat general purpose light. Currently I am also thinking that I may jump up to 21700 because if I’m going to have a thrower it might as well be one with a lot of juice. I’ve looked around at a bunch of models online and still can’t decide which one I may be interested in. Leaning towards the Sofirn if22A with the TIR optic. But, as I said previously, runtime on a single cell is really important to me. I rarely if ever use a turbo mode, but I want a medium and high mode that have respectable runtimes.
Welcome to BLF @CoolBreeze135. I am a new member myself and I can say that I’m learning a lot myself. A good 21700 battery flashlight that I have myself is the Convoy M21A with SFT40 emitter. The only downside is that you have to order it from a China vendor.
You can go to Ali express, Convoy website or this one
It’s funny you mention a Fenix because the HL50 has been my bugout bag headlamp and the model family members have regularly used for years now.
I have 4 S21As with TIRs and OP reflectors in various tints, mostly with 519a LEDs. The size difference between Convoy 18650 tube lights and 21700 models is nearly insignificant. Plus, you get greater battery capacity, a 20mm MCPCB, screws to hold it in pill, wider beam, better springs, and more driver options, IMO.
I generally like more floody lights but the throwers I have, ie. L2, C8, and M21A have good spill as well.
Absolutely! It’s a beautiful place to live. Has its pros and cons like anywhere else, but the Appalachian mountains are home and–while I have relocated a couple of times in the last several years–I have never moved far from these mountains. I get out and enjoy them as often as I can.
I’ve seen those names pop up a ton on the boards here. Actually, I ordered my first Convoy a couple weeks ago before I became a member, which led to me joining the site. It will be here on Monday and I’m excited to test it out (S3 with 519A 4500k emitter).
