A little about me;
*My name is Nick.
*I am happy to have stumbled upon this site before wasting money on some lights.
*Hobbies;
*Cars
*Computers
*Firearms
*Camping/hiking
So probably the most common n00b question…. What would you guys recommend for me?
So what I am looking for;
*Something I can take camping/hiking.
*Something hopefully water resistant.
*As for form factor I am kind of open to anything (handheld). Probably leaning toward something that can hold 2 or more 18650 batteries. I was currently looking at this Amazon.com
*As for budget I would prefer to stay $55 or less (for the light) since I also have to buy batteries and a charger.
*I was hoping for something ~1000 lumens but really anything 500+. I actually prefer the cool white color (I know some don’t).
Current lights are a Maglite LED light 2D ~168 lumens if I remember correctly and a SureFire 6PX Pro (Got it from work as part of a Christmas gift, it is currently mounted on one of my rifles).
Mountain Electronics is a great place to shop, I highly recommend them.
The Convoy S2+ is very popular around here and I carry one with me most of the time. It’s available in both Red and Blue You can’t really go wrong with one, you’ll probably end up owning one anyway if you spend much time on BLF
:bigsmile:
Personally I like the Convoy M1 it’s a good size for me and I think it’s a good balance between throw and flood.
P.S. I’d avoid a multi celled light as a first light, there are some risks involved with them you should lean about first.
If you’re going camping or hiking at night, I’d suggest that you take at least two flashlights with you.
I prefer carrying a general purpose flashlight and a thrower, but you might prefer taking two general purpose flashlights with different form factors (say your EC4 and an S2+).
And if you do decide to pick up an EC4, try sending a PM message to either dazed1 or M4D M4X. They can probably get you a discount. (However, please note that shipping from their sources may take 4 to 8 weeks.)
BTW, as far as tints are concerned, I love my Convoy S2+ 4D tint so much that I have two of them and have one more on the way!
The BLF A6 is still available in black or bare aluminum. 18650x1, tube form factor, 7 main modes, deep carry clip, 3 tints to choose from. For a general purpose light I like the Convoy C8 with SMO reflector for throw- It gives really good spill too. The OP reflector with be floodier. 18650x1, 3 modes, great build quality and one heck of a bargain for the price. Enlarged head form factor so less pocketable but it will fit there.
A single 18650 packs a lot of power in a pocketable diameter which is why it’s so popular for EDC lights. Cells in parallel are easier to manage with multi’s. Cells in series require a lot more attention to cell-matching, charging, and use. Pushed too far they can ruin cells or become dangerous. Series-cell lights are for experts only because of that; you can get one heck of a lot of light without taking that risk and for most folks and most uses one cell lights are enough. Use only good cells and good chargers, our member HKJ does pro-grade reviews of these and if you stay with what he recommends you will be good-to-go.
Also thanks very much for the recommendations and info. I will update you guys with what I get. I have a feeling I am going to pick up two (different ones) so I can have one to keep in the car.
Thanks again everyone! I look forward to digging into the forum and learning as much as I can. Cheers!
I like the C8’s. Very bright focused beam. The mtnelectronics one above should be really nice, one seller on this forum seemed to have nice ones almost a year ago. or you can hope for a solid pill & good flashlight on ebay for $12-13 or whatever they are now. I got mine on ebay
Zooms are nice for walking on a trail due to the wider beam. And too bright ruins your night vision and runs down battery.
Try to get an xml emitter or better. I was using a Q5 I got $3-4 last night though, was good.
You might already have one, and already know this, but just to be on the safe side, I thought I would mention getting a multimeter, to test batteries
Depending where you live, temperature in a car can be extreme. It is not uncommon to observe more than 140 degrees Fahrenheit in summer and sub-zero in winter.
Those extremes can shorten the lifetime of Li-ion batteries. You can offset some of that by storing your car light in a small lunchbox-style cooler, and storing it in a cool spot. Low in the trunk of a sedan is often a good choice.
Many BLF members prefer to use lithium primary primary batteries in their car lights. Those can handle the extremes of temperature as well or better than other batteries. Energizer Ultimate Lithium is recommended for AA and AAA; USA-made batteries, for CR123A.
When you need to change a tire, or look under the hood, it is nice to have a headlamp, rather than a handheld flashlight in your car.
For now I got an XinTD C8 V5 XM-L2 U4 1C 18650 Flashlight from Mountain Electronics and I ordered one of the BLF A6 from BangGood (It was delayed and said it said it should ship the 11th).
Thanks! As for the Merc, nope :bigsmile: . The S550 is referring to the 2015+ Mustang chassis. I have a Guard Metallic Green 2015 Mustang GT with the Performance Package.
Actually uploaded some pics to Imgur not too long ago so I could link them on another forum
Good looking Mustang! ABSOLUTELY LOVE the metallic green!
There is a metric ton of knowledge and experience on this site, you can’t possibly crystalize it in a single thread.
I’m certainly no expert, mostly a lurker, but if I had to start again… (after buying a bunch of so-so stuff…):
a) Convoy S2+ - it has a great flood pattern, solid performer, my #1 go-to for bike riding, hikes, walks, and camping. Get it direct from Simon at Aliexpress, no regrets, have ordered over 6, wonderful gifts too.
b) 18650 batteries - yikes - there is so much tech bs it’s kind of daunting when you first look at it. This, that, 100mah here/there, on and on, but the basic samsung 26f has not let me down and is certainly affordable. If I did it again, I’d get all UNprotected, because the protected cells do not fit in most single cell chargers. Stay away from anything with FIRE in the name.
c) small pocket-able spotlight thrower - Eagle Eye x6, also aliexpress, no regrets, blazin’ great thrower out of the box.
I have more expensive lights, but wish I didn’t, if know what I mean?!?
Thanks to all the great people on this site!
