My Flashlight Plans for 2013

LED Flashlights – General Info
1

I like flash lights. I’m not a flash-alcoholic. i don’t want a flash light with 20 xml t6’s powered by 12 26650’s or a fusion reactor to light up the far reaches of the known galaxy. (that would be so cool)
I’m a reasonable guy who wants a flash light when it’s needed, in an emergency, to take a walk at night, to find stuff when no other light is available. (i do like to see beam shots though)
I don’t think i need 10 different kinds of battery’s with 6 different chargers hoping that the battery’s are charged when i need them and figuring out which battery goes into which flash light. I don’t want to worry about the battery’s exploding or setting the house on fire when they’re charging, or whether they have right charge if the lite takes more than 1 battery. (i’m in this camp now)
All that being said, and after looking at the current flash light products coming on the market, me thinks for 2013 my plans for flash lights are as follows: (unless something newer makes my current line of thought stupid)
AA’s - I like the multiple aa format. Simple, battery’s readily available, rechargeable battery’s work in them, reasonable size, ample power for normal tasks. No worries on multiple battery charge levels.
AA’s/26650 - This has potential. The “KISS” principle applies here. Minimise the type of battery’s, maximise the function. Versatility is the key. Only 1 li ion to worry about.
NiMh battery powered flash lights - in general, i think this my direction for 2013 (with the exception of the 26650 li ion) I think i’ll start with the Aurora 3aaa/26650, the Nicore 3aaa, C88, if these choices work, get a few Fenix, maybe an Olight, get some rechargeable NiMh for the xmas maglite purchases. I may dabble in some cr123’s, but not the rechargeable.

So what do u think? Is this old geezer loosin’ it or just hittin’ the single malt to often.

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You are already a TORCHaholic,…… you just aint realised it yet! :bigsmile:

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I'd do an 18650 before or in place of a 26650..

To skip 18650 for a 26650 is a bad idea since it means there are a million missed light opportunities

AA and 18650 would be my top two battery choices .

4

A cheap light which has lasted me almost a year is the TrustFire 3T6.
It’s made for 2 or 3 18650s, but can also run on 4 AAs.
I usually chuck NiMH LSD AAs in there and I have myself a great emergency light with around 1450 lumens OTF.

5

I used to have a few different battery types in my collection, but for the most part all of my lights are either AA or 18650, I do have some primary CR123s, 14500s, and AAA here and there, but I do like simplicity.

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I do! Where do I send the $? At least you won’t be outbidding me on the new DealXtreem AP-t6 Atomic Pilescent… :davie:

This is a great plan. It’s really hard not to like the AA lights right now, especially the ones that will take a li-ion or a grocery store battery. What are thoughts on chargers? I have an xtar wp6ii and will need another charger soonish…

Interesting choice, is it because you prefer the nickel batteries or the lights that use them? You realize you are a flashaholic just for making a plan, right? H)

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I also thought the AA/26650 was a good idea. Experience has taught me they don’t mix, the light has be designed to not self destruct with lithium, but the AA/AAA capability is an afterthought, they work but not well. I consider them a backup power source, the light will not operate quite correctly with them.
I would consider getting two lights, one for AA/AAA and one lithium, i have a Cyclone c88 and AA batteries couldn’t cut it, not because of the battery holder as everyone thinks, but because of voltage sag, even soldered together the batteries can’t put out enough voltage to fully power the light, not to mention premature low voltage warnings and variable performance on different battery brands or even the same brand depending on charge level.
Sadly high lumen AA lights are pricey, for example theres a Dorcy and a Coast light that look promising on AAs, but it is cheaper to buy an 18650 light and battery and cheap charger then to buy either of these.
Under 200 lumen AA/AAA lights are quite budget friendly though and will get you through most any flashlight necessitated situation.

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My fav multi cell type format is the Trustfire J12, runs on two or three 26650 OR
4 C batteries, dimmer than 26650’s on alkalines, brighter than 26650’s on Nimh C batteries :wink:
I found my self reaching for my Jetbeam Pa40 instead of my zebralight sc600, so that I didn’t have to chage some 18650’sfor work, not sure if I’m getting old too or these last few months have taught me to really appreciate what I have. I don’t know that I’ll use my 18650 lights at work anymore, except when I’m on call. 500 lumens and portable for daytime use.

I’m rambling lol so ill tell my 2013 plan;

My plan for 2013 is too pick up a handful of XML2 lights, get an MTG2 light, maybe an SBT70 light as well. And learn how too Solder so that I can do some of my own emitter swaps. (Still hoping for 7k lumens for under $100, that’s my dream)

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My plan is to build rather than buy, I have a couple of 3d Maglite plans, one involving d cells and an xm-l for my dads Maglite, one involvving some 26650 cells, a custom delrin holder and an mtg2 J)

Otherwise, I want to build a few of the hosts available and try to avoid buying too much, looking at my shelf, my lights are pretty much all c8 sized xm-l using either a 26650 or 18650, I want to play with a 3up nichia 219, xp-g2s and possibly an xre thrower type, no aspherics, I hate the square die hot spot they throw.

I’m also planning to make use of my dads lathe at home or machine shop a bit, and try to do some kitchen table mods, be the inspiration for others that many here have been for me.

How all this pans out we’ll see, but I’m mainly looking forward to much more time shooting the crap with you guys. :bigsmile:

10

Well far smaller worries. You can pretty easily kill or maim a cell that overdischarges or reverse charges. It’s still not a bad idea to keep cells in a set so they experience similar aging and check voltage before use every so often. You aren’t going to get a rapid burning with horribly toxic fumes if you get it wrong though.

11

I have recently sold my Shadow JM26, X8 and next week my Supbeam K40. I have fought the urge to buy the heavily-discounted stock TN31. I am not a modder, a want something that really throws, might as well get from someone who knows a thing or two about throwers, so I might as well go for the kill. I will be waiting for the upcoming, upgraded OSTS TN31MB, going well over 300Kcd. Not bad considering the next best thing at 250Kcd, is the Olight SR95S-UT at $450!

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Yes, I like practical. On the other hand its an ok area to have some fun. (If you have any info on 20,000 lumen, atomic powered …, please post!)

These LEDs really open doors to some neat, bright, reliable lights. At the same time you get to play with some ultra bright lights that you really don’t NEED. :wink: Enjoy, its a whole lot cheaper than restoring classic cars, etc. (If cars are your thing, that’s fine too, its your choice!)

On the practical side, I’d prefer the 18650s over the 26650s. With a single cell light, life is pretty safe. Don’t fold, staple, or mutilate. Recalls apparently happen when the failure rate exceeds 1 part per million. Car drivers are 100 times worse. Know the risks and rules, don’t be stupid, then have fun. I have no extreme concern with salvaging laptop batteries. I even tried to recharge some 0 volt cells. Tried to charge a few minutes at a time, monitor temp and voltage. Temp started to rise. Ok, stop. I’ll recycle some better ones.

If your goal is simply a solid, bright utility light; I’d really suggest lithium primary cells. They are a little pricey, but since I’ve been loosing several lights a year to alka-leaks (stored in the car, van, toolbox, etc), lithium primaries are looking good. Shelf life is in the decades and the cells don’t leak and destroy flashlights. On the other hand, I don’t mind taking the one in a million chance, walk on the wild side with rechargeable lithiums. They don’t seem to leak either, the price is right, and they should last for years, even stored in a hot vehicle. Just charge them to a few tenths of volt below 4.2 volt. When they fail to keep a strong charge, replace em.

If you like hands on, and playing around a bit, flashlights seem like a great, relatively safe way to have some fun on a budget. Practical or fun - BLF seems like a great place!

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My flashlight plans for 2013 are to use the lights I already own and not buy any more flashlights (not a realistic new year’s resolution I know,but I will try).
My all time favourite flashlight is the Fenix TK41 which will work with 4 or 8 AA batteries. I know it is expensive but after buying a dozen or more cheap lights I realised it was worth the investment as more than half of those cheap lights have died after a few hours use. I have have bought many quality flashlights since but the Fenix TK41 still stands out as my all time favourite so far.