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- Stinkwater
The battery makes a big difference, and that lamp you linked has crap batteries. Next time we're out at the same time I'll loan you a couple good batteries, I'll bet your kids get three nights out of one.
I designed some pretty great tactical lights and had a friend who owns a large flashlight company (same company that @SAMI now works at) help me get them produced.
TW-350 330 Lumen Tactical Flashlight
Key Features: 3 modes: High, low, strobe Mode selector dial -no more using the button to jump through modes! removable pocket/ hat clip -mounts securely to hat when turned backwards! 3 tail caps: utility, rifle mount, tactical -customize the light to your needs! momentary-on or click-on button...www.tacware.com
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How about headlamps?
I absolutely love my petzl NAO! https://m.petzl.com/US/en/Sport/PERFORMANCE-headlamps/NAO-PLUSIt has photo sensors that let it regulate its light output according to how much light it “sees”. This not only saves battery but makes it so you don’t blind yourself when you look at something up close.
I would bet I have $2k plus in flashlights laying around the house.
We sound like kindred spirits...
I'm totally converted to 18650, the performance for the size/weight blows AAA out of the water.
Yes!!!
We have got 4 headlamps that have a battery pack on the back with 2 18650 batteries in each.
They are super bright, and do an excellent job. However, they are the reason I only want aaa lamps now.
The car chargers I have don’t seem to charge the lamps well at all, so they have to be plugged in at home before every trip, which means unpack and repack them into the camper each trip. Also, they don’t hold a charge long enough for a kid to play all night for multiple nights... so they run dead by the end of the trip. We also have a few small watch battery lamps. They put out a tiny bit of light, just enough for kids to see around camp... but they have been going for years on the same stupid battery.
Edit: pretty sure these are our 18650 lamps.
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Sounds like you need to invest in QUALITY batteries and chargers. Keep spares and rotate them.
Or do what I do and leave the chargers in the kitchen, where I need to remodel....Now you’ve made me really nervous. That was the last though in my head as I left my house this evening, with my headlamps plugged in.. hopefully the house is there when I get home!
I designed some pretty great tactical lights and had a friend who owns a large flashlight company (same company that @SAMI now works at) help me get them produced. They are every bit as nice as the big name tactical lights for half the price. They do take the CR123A batteries but I'm currently working on the next generation that will also take the 18650 batteries. My lights have 3 modes, high, low, strobe, but to change the mode you turn a dial that's around the head of the light. So the tail button is always on/off of whatever mode you leave it in on the dial. I hate having to switch through modes using the button. There are some other cool and unique features as well. You can check them out here:
TW-350 330 Lumen Tactical Flashlight
Key Features: 3 modes: High, low, strobe Mode selector dial -no more using the button to jump through modes! removable pocket/ hat clip -mounts securely to hat when turned backwards! 3 tail caps: utility, rifle mount, tactical -customize the light to your needs! momentary-on or click-on button...www.tacware.com
I'm also working on a AAA battery EDC light right now that will be the best super-compact AAA light on the market, IMO.
If any of you are interested, let me know and I can make a discount code for you.
The big one is 900 lumens.
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Yes please! I have flashlights all over my cabin (when it's dark up there, it's REALLY dark) but the only ones that seem to survive (I think it's the cold, not sure) are my Surefire ones. I hate spending $150+ on a light that sits on my nightstand for when I need to take a leak in the middle of the night
I've got a couple big larry flashlights, they are great when I'm working on the car with the magnet in the bottom.Value wise I love everything I've used from Nebo. They work awesome and they are cheap! I don't like any rechargeable lights because it seems they are always dead when I need them. When the alkalines are dead I can "charge" them in 30 seconds or less.
Yup that’s my place. Lithium battery ignited on the charger while I was In Wyoming for the weekend last summer. We came home to a house filled full of soot, but luckily no fire.What the hell Derek. Is that your place? When did this happen?
For my lighting needs I have stuck with black diamond for the last 5 years and have been happy enough. I got a couple $10 headlamps from them at an expo booth and liked them when I could get them to turn on. There wasn't an "on" button, it was a swipe thing. It worked okay at first but then less and less. I ended up buying a bigger headlamp that take 4 AA batteries in a pack at the back of the headband. It works really well but wasn't cheap and I'm not sure if I'd trust my 3 year old with it.
I also have a couple of BD's light globes. This one. I guess its better at lighting up the RTT than outside but its got a couple hooks on top that fold away so it can hang. I liked it enough that when the first one was stolen with my LX I bought another to replace it. Its also dimmable.
I have a Streamlight Strion LED that I got like 10 years ago and love. I'm probably due for a new one but hate to spend the cash. On the flipside I don't want a cheaper one that isn't rechargeable because that's probably my favorite feature.
I’ll have an 800 lumen, rechargeable (18650), aluminum bodied light on the market very soon for (MSRP) $29.99+/-, and I’ll discount for RME homies. Time to ditch the Streamlight.
My favorite one coming out is a dual 18650 design cranked up to 7.2V, CREE XHP50 LED, weighing 10.2oz, and producing 1,600 lumens on High with a very useable runtime of 3hrs on High. Should have a beam distance of 400+ meters, but it’s still in testing for beam distance. Fantastic light. Should be around $50 retail.
I’ll have an 800 lumen, rechargeable (18650), aluminum bodied light on the market very soon for (MSRP) $29.99+/-, and I’ll discount for RME homies. Time to ditch the Streamlight.
My favorite one coming out is a dual 18650 design cranked up to 7.2V, CREE XHP50 LED, weighing 10.2oz, and producing 1,600 lumens on High with a very useable runtime of 3hrs on High. Should have a beam distance of 400+ meters, but it’s still in testing for beam distance. Fantastic light. Should be around $50 retail.
I'm in to check out both of these. USB recharging?