# Lights For Hiking



## watchmaker (Jun 29, 2007)

LIGHTS FOR HIKING



This post will try to show how different lights used for hiking compare with each other, and will clarify the difference between the lumen ratings used in Luxeon (LED) lights and incandescent lights.
In short, I will show (through pictures) how Luxeons lack definition when used at increased distances, but are excellent when walking in well marked trails due to their increased run time in comparison with incandescent lights and their usually more expanded flood (side spill) qualities,

Last month I had conducted one of my annuals deer antlers hunts with a group of boy scouts that my son work with, in those hunts we often do a lot of night travel in the woods, using map and compass like in an orienteering game, and also checking out the new GPS that the kids usually have.

In this last one I used and give out to use a bunch of new lights that I had collected in the winter months, they range from head lights with LED’s to incandescent head lights to the new powerful key chain lights.

I collected a number of opinions in the different lights and the easy or difficulty that was to use them in the woods, and that gave me the idea of making a data-base of beam shots to help people to understand what kind of illumination they can get from them.

For close up chores around the campsite, cooking, washing dishes, pitching the tent etc., I will not be without a lightweight headlight such as my Peltz Tikka or my Princeton Tec Aurora, they have three LED’s Nichias of 5 mm each and they put out a good amount of flood light. I have seen the new improved Tikkas with four LED’s and even the Tikka XP with a 1 watt Luxeon LED., which are of course more powerful than the regular Tikka but will consume more battery juice.

The new key chain lights are really amazing, I have an older ARC AAA that puts out about seven lumens and will do a great job a short distance, but I have adquired the new Fenix LOP (1 AAA) and the Fenix L1P (1AA) and they are amazing in the light output, the L1P is outputting close to 40 lumens of white light.

Of course due to the small diameter reflectors, don’t expect these lights to throw a long way, as the light is quickly converted into flood and dissipated.

As I say the best way to show others is with pictures taken at the same distance and with the same settings.

To make things interesting I placed my bear and deer heads at 26 yards distance from the where the lights was coming from (second story window) and the bear at 18 feet and deer at 12 feet from the camera and tripod.

Here is how they look in daylight:








And here are the contenders, from left to right the Nuwaii Q III, the Fenix L1P the Surefire L-4 Digital Lumamax the Surefire Centurion II in black anodized with the 65 lumens lamp, and the Surefire Centurion II in hard anodized type III with the P-61 lamp, 120 lumens, also a one dollar bill for size reference and a knife on top of the bill so the wind doesn’t blow it away, 
And finally the mini spot-light, the Bear Cub 220 lumens rechargeable light.










So here are the beam shots of the  lights that we used in that antler collecting trip.

Surefire Centurion-2 65 lumens

This is a light  is an incandescent light and will work on two 123’s batteries for one hour, it puts out 65 lumens of light which is more than enough for most walking around in the woods.
The light cost about $100 USD.

SUREFIRE CENTURION II BEAM SHOT (65 LUMENS)






Surefire L-4 (Digital Lumamax)  Luxeon V. LED, 100 lumens

This is one of the higher quality offering from Surefire, it is a Luxeon V (a flood Luxeon) and will throw about 100 lumens of light, because the light is in a side spill pattern (flood) it will not have the reach than the C-2 (previous picture) has but the light is quite impressive at shorter ranges providing a lot of flood for a great coverage of near by terrain.

The light is made of aluminum, but with a special military hard anodizing type III that is quite sturdy and resist scratches that will mar other lights finish.
This light is about $160 USD and like the G-2 will work on two of the 123’s batteries for 2 ½ hours.

SUREFIRE L-4 DIGITAL LUMAMAX BEAM SHOT (100 LUMENS)






I have a light that is really out of the key chain size, but not for much, it is a Nuwaii Q III and use one of the 123’s battery and produce around 40 lumens of light, it will run for about one hour on it. 
This light cost about $40 in the web and to my thinking it is well worth the price.
Here is the beam shot.

NUWAII Q III BEAM SHOT (40 LUMENS)






And here is the beam shot of the Fenix L1P (1 AA) this light is say to put out 40 lumens, but of course the small reflector make it a flood light that it is quite impressive at short range.

FENIX L1P BEAM SHOT (38 LUMENS)










SUREFIRE CENTURION II  BEAM SHOT P-61 LAMP (120 LUMENS)






We had a light that was out  of the lightweight class at 13 oz and nine inches long, but was our long range spotter, like a mini-spot light, the beam intensity was amazing and the range reached well over  150 yards.
The Bear Cub uses special Lithium Ion rechargeable batteries to produce 220 lumens for 90 minutes.
The rechargeable batteries of the Bear Cub were a blessing as the others lights using 123’s at almost $2.00 each battery put a dent in the budget of the trip.
Here is the beam shot with the Bear Cub


BEAR CUB RECHARGEABLE, BEAM SHOT, (220 LUMENS)








Perhaps the members can find a light that will suit your needs in this selection, hope this post it will be not too boring, and people find some interest in it.

Cheers,
WATCHMAKER


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## bigbog (Jul 9, 2007)

*pretty useful....*

interesting *W*....


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## watchmaker (Jul 23, 2007)

THE FENIX L1D
AA KEY CHAIN LIGHT 
WITH CREE EMITTER

I finally remembered to order one of them, as I am not in any sense keychain-light poor, having several of them from the ARC AAA passing through the CMG (Course Made Good) to the Streamlight key mate and Fenix’s L1P and LOP AAA.

Not long ago, I reviewed the Jet beam II Mark VIII, which is a very similar light to the Fenix L1D. Any of the two can be considered revolutionary, and it is hard not to get excited about them.

I opted to have the Fenix L1D that works with 1 AA battery, as I like the size and shape which is the same as the Fenix L1P that I have been using for the last 18 months.
The L1P is a 40 lumen light that runs on one AA battery. I never did a timed run test because I always carry a couple of extra batteries in my pocket anyway to get extra run time from my lights, but wherever it is, it can never equal the multi-functional powers of the Fenix L1D.

The extreme power is achieved by a Cree 7090 XR-E LED emitter with a life of 50,000 hours- the little torch has two models of output selected by turning the bezel.
The first mode (as you click the light on) is 9 lumens and will last for 25 hours in the AA battery.  The second mode (as you soft-press the switch) is 40 lumens and will last for 5 hours, and another soft press on the switch will access the 80 lumen power and your battery will last for 2 hours.
There is also an SOS mode (with another soft press) using the 80 lumens power.

Here are some of the lights, at top is a McGizmo modification (a collector’s item light worth $250 USD) it outputs 135 lumens and the big 32 mm reflector throws the light well at the 26 yards distance.
Next is the Fenix L1D which shows it is a tad longer than the Fenix L1P , below.
Next is the ARC AAA and the Fenix LOP, great keychain lights, all.







The second mode of the light system is accessed by turning the bezel ½ a turn. It is a steady 90 lumens that will last for 1 ½ hours and with a soft press of the switch the 90 lumens becomes a very quick strobe, that can disorient people or help in disco dancing.

Most chores inside the house can be handled with the 9 lumen mode.  For walking the dog or hiking a trail at night I will use the 40 lumen mode; in fact, I can see that attaching it to my cap with Velcro will beat all the head lights in the market, as it is so light and so convenient without the restricting head band around my head- and anyway, I always wear a cap to shade my eyes or protect my glasses from rain, branches, etc.

The SOS or the strobe mode will always be there if I need to attract attention in an emergency. It is even useable in the suburbs, like recently, when a member of my family fell and broke her arm in the rear entrance of a church, she landed between two pine trees and the pain was so strong that she was unable to move, or even scream for help, and a key chain light used as a signal called the attention of people nearby and she was able to summon help that way.

Here are beam shots with the L1P on left and the L1D on right both at 40 lumens, the L1P is more yellow in the corona, but at the center are of the same intensity






The 80 lumen mode or the 90 lumen mode puts a tremendous amount of light NEARBY.  Yes, I emphasize the word because due to the small reflector (that will diffuse the light into a flood), the reach of this little light even at that power is very restricted.  Oh yes, it will serve to illuminate a big room well, but when tested at the 26 yards distance where I have my deer and bear it was just as the poor results that I got before with the Jet beam, so you can check that post if you are curious about the amount of light reaching there.

For that long distance you just need a bigger reflector of a bigger flashlight.  My PR Turbo head by McGizmo running two Lithium Ion 123’s is much more efficient in putting illumination in the 26 yard spot just because the Pelican reflector of 32 mm is so much more efficient in canalizing the light.

So, a long distance light it is not, but all the other common chores can be handled very easily with the new Fenix L1D light.  The battery will last a long time on the nine lumen mode (25 hours) and will probably be my choice for hanging from the ceiling of the tent all night long, in replacement of the CMG LED that I was using until now.

I paid $52 USD for the light and I consider the cost a bargain.  With one in my pocket I just need two or three more powerful lights to cover all lightning situations that I can possible think of; for example, I will use a 200 lumen light in my belt for animal control (in the wild and in the street- and I mean two and four-legged animals) this could be a Surefire Centurion III with the optional P-91 lamp, or even better the rechargeable Bear Cub 220 lumen 90 minutes run time.
For my truck or cars, I am never too far away from a Borealis flashlight, 1050 lumens and 50 minute run time, the most powerful flashlight in the world with the power of a two million candlepower spotlight.
With that I am in control of riots, accident sites, search and rescue, and WWIII.

Coming back to the Fenix L1D, yes I am very happy with this light.  Hopefully it will give me even better service than the Fenix L1P and the LOP that I have been using until now -lights that are very good and I have nothing but praise for them.
Respectfully

Watchmaker


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## cbcbd (Jul 23, 2007)

Interesting comparisons...
...but in all honesty, I rarely do any "hiking" or anything with handheld flashlights anymore and don't know too many "hikers" who use anything else other than headlamps - you just rarely need to see that far if you're just hiking.

Now, if you're talking about lights for hunting... then I guess it's a subject I'm not too familiar with and don't know the pros and cons.

But just to quote a guy in an EMS being shown headlamps (he was looking for flashlights):
"Headlamp? Nah, I don't need anything that hardcore"
 all right...


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## David Metsky (Jul 23, 2007)

I agree, I use a headlamp and I don't find the need for excessive brightness.  Your eyes adjust quickly to low light situations.  A 4 LED headlamp is more then enough, the batteries last 70+ hours and it's good enough to hike, cook, and read by.  And, they don't blind the others in my group when I look at their faces.

 -dave-


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## watchmaker (Jul 26, 2007)

SOME HEAD LAMPS

For walking in well-marked trails at night, I used to use (like everyone else) a head lamp.
The Peltz Tikka with the three LED’s was good for well-marked trails, as was the Princeton Tec Aurora.
The Tikka with the red filter I use for taking notes while wildlife observing, as the animals will not detect a red spectrum of light. Also, when camping out and walking to the latrine, in consideration to my fellow campers that dislike been shined in the face.
I am using the Tikka now for reading in bed, so as not to disturb my wife’s sleep.






For going cross-country in the woods and when doing compass and map games, we needed something with more throw for the alignment of the next mark.  In that case, I used the Princeton Tec Predator pro, with almost 8 hours of duration on the batteries and 28 lumens with good throw.
I like to use rechargeable NIMH batteries, because after the initial cost of batteries and charger, they are almost free to use, as the electricity used to recharge them is negligible.
And a fringe benefit is that I will not pollute another landfill with the alkaline batteries.
But I don’t think I will ever buy another head light. I like the idea of sticking one of the Fenix lights with Velcro tape on top of my cap more; it liberates me from the feeling of the constricting head band, and the new Fenix L1D has multiple power and functions.

The 9 lumen (25 hours) first setting is plenty for most trail walking.  A soft touch in the switch pad will access the second setting of 40 lumens (5 hours), and with another soft press on the switch, the 80 lumens will come out (2 hours). One more time will SOS the light in 80 lumens.
A twist on the head will access the 90 lumen mode (1 ½ hours) and a press in the switch and the strobe will be on, which is great for disco dancing.

This little light will do most of the chores that were reserved for bigger, heavier lights, and I predict we will be seeing many of them in the trails.
Kind regards,
Watchmaker


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## ctenidae (Jul 27, 2007)

I find that a headlamp and a Mini Mag are more than sufficient for hiking use, even when doing a 4 am rain-soaked fog-choked 2 mile downhill.


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## AHM (Jul 29, 2007)

*Big light..............*

Agreed, headlamps are the way to go; however, they do not throw out ample light to say..........ski tour your local hill and then ski down--a practice I like to engage in.  What I have found that works best for "night time" ski touring, is using my mtb nightrider digital headtrip helmet light and adding the headband to use it like a standard headlamp.  The nightrider throws out about 15 w Halogen beam and it adds a lot more light than a BD or Princeton Tech.  A bit more pricey than a standard headlamp, but really a lot more light and hence function.  Check it out.


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## watchmaker (Jul 29, 2007)

Most headlamps throw much less light at 26 yards than any of the lights I tested above, if the concensus is to hike only with a headlamp, those that do that will not have hike much at all at night.

In my night hikes I have found in the trail, porcupines, skunks, bobcats, coyoters and even bears, if you hike with an LED head lamp only, you will be in top of them before you realize it.

Watchmaker


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## AHM (Aug 3, 2007)

*Easy does it watchmaker...................*

WM:  Do a great deal of night hiking and night XC skiing and night ski touring.  Convinced my niterider works well.  Would have liked it finishing the Freax couloir at dusk one time.  Big mountain skiers and climbers (UIAGM guides) use headlamps.........end of story.


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## David Metsky (Aug 3, 2007)

watchmaker said:


> those that do that will not have hike much at all at night.


I've never found the need for more light then a headlamp can throw out.  If above treeline with a good moon, I will hike without any light.  I've never had a problem with animals at night; they can hear me before I can see them.


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## watchmaker (Aug 7, 2007)

ENERGIZER SIX LED’S
HEADLAMP 

I decided to review this LED head light to see if it was suitable for hiking, like other similar lights it works out of three AAA batteries that are included in the package.

The thing that attracted me is the four modes of operation, the first click will put on the main beam that according to the writing in the package will last for 50 hours (but we all know better about those wild claims).

The second click will activate the flood only, another click and you will have both flood and main beam and a last click will activate the red light.





The main beam was bothering me with a reflection that shined on my eyes; of course using a cap with a good bill will eliminate this problem.
The main beam is okay in intensity, but it have an aureole of black around it that is quite distracting and then another narrow  aureole of light on the outside of  the black circle.






The flood setting was better, no distracting or blinding reflections and quite acceptable in intensity, for doing chores such as washing dishes, cooking and pitching a tent.

Flood and main beam was okay in the sense that the area of coverage for hiking will be more ample than with the main beam alone, I will choose this setting for all the hiking.
The red light is completely unusable, very poor and barely illuminating the ground a few feet in front.

The head band is a little harder in the material that others head bands I had used, a little too uncomfortable; perhaps washing it with Downy will soften it or make it suppler.

The price is $16,97 and the light is usually available at stores such as Wal Mart or Walgreens or Home Depot, it is made in China for www.energizer.com and I consider it an okay light for those that do occasional hiking at night and don’t want to invest in a specialized high ticked light.

My beam shot of the light was taken at 21 feet from the deer target, I will not try a head light LED at the 26 yards that I usually test my hand held lights,  Head light LED’s  just don’t have the reach.





Cheers,

Watchmaker


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## watchmaker (Aug 12, 2007)

ENERGIZER PIVOTING LED HEADLIGHT
TWO WHITE LED’S AND ONE RED

Yesterday I was at Home Depot buying some electronic switches when I spotted an Energizer Pivoting LED headlight.  What attracted my attention was that it uses two white LED’s and one red. As I use a red light sometimes when I am at camp and I don’t want to shine a bright headlight in people’s faces, it struck me as a good idea.

As the price for the head lamp was only $12.99, the light followed me home when I left the store.






The light runs with three AAA batteries that are included.  A bright red sticker claimed it to run 50 hours, but we all know that the lights can still show some light, but if it is useable or not is debatable.  Some say as long you can see a keyhole- for my use I have to see a trail.  Some LED lights will work for only for 8 to ten hours at the most. I am not going to do a run test on this light, it is not worth it.

Loading the batteries into the battery compartment allowed me to see the cheap construction and the flimsy contact points, nothing similar to a well-made Tikka or an Aurora.  The switch is a sliding one with three positions, center for off, to the left for the red LED and to the right for the two white LED’s. The switch also feels cheap, with a lot of play and a not-too-positive contact.

The beam was narrow and with a huge circle of black shadows all around the perimeter.  The light is enough to hike only a well-marked trail.  The red light was also narrow, irregular in shape and with weird spots of lights going out to the sides, and the light intensity was poor.
Obviously a light with that poor flood coverage is not suitable for washing dishes or setting a tent at night.

For a serious hiker this is not a good light; it’s better to spend the money in a quality light sold by REI or some other good outdoor outlet.
But if you want more information on lights that Energizer make, the web site address is www.energizer.com
For children getting their first headlight to play inside the tent or going to the “loo” at night it is okay.  This is where this light is going; my young nephew is interested in camping and will appreciate the gesture.

Cheers.

Watchmaker


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## watchmaker (Aug 14, 2007)

THE MOST POWERFUL FLASHLIGHTS
LIGHTS FOR TRUCK OR CAR


Hi guys,
Yes, I know that this has nothing to do with hiking, but most of us use car or truck transportation to get to the trail head and usually carry some form of a flashlight in the vehicle.
A powerful light can be a life saver in many instances, I well remember when driving up to the Adirondacks at 2 am in an empty 87 North at a point between exit 28 and 29 (North Hudson) some wild people in a truck tried to run us over into the shoulder of the road, my wife shinned a powerful light into their windshield and they desisted in the intent and actually braked hard and disappeared.
Maybe they though that only  police cars would have such a powerful light and that it was better to look for their kicks somewhere else; the case was that the light resolved the situation for us.

Then it was the time when we used it to illuminate the scene of and accident involving a deer and a poor woman in a compact car in a dark lonely side road, where blood and the insides of the deer were everywhere and the car was inoperable.

Calling by phone from New York City to a local in the Adirondacks to get our weather information I was told of a new ruse some bad guys were using to rob and hi jack cars in roads with poor traffic in the area.
The information came handy a few weeks later when in Boreas road near the junction with Tahawus road we were flagged by a guy in a truck with the head lights illuminating a dead dog in the middle of the road. at the time I was using a car I had bought from my neighbor the cop, it had a PA system and blue lights mounted in the vicinity of the radiator; we stopped short, illuminated the area with the two million candlepower of a Borealis flashlight and hit the blue lights and PA system telling them over the mike to stay were they where and to show their hands. The guy in the truck jumped inside and did a burning tire escape even running over the body of the dog, while his confederate in the bushes at the side of the road had just barely time to dive head first into the bed of the truck.

So I though that I will show the guys in the forums what a powerful light is since I have several of them with me.

HERE IS A PICTURE OF THE LIGHTS, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:  Maglite 3 D,  Magcharger, Ultra Stinger, Surefire M-6 Guardian, and Borealis.






AND HERE A PICTURE OF THE BATTERY STICKS AND CARRIERS FROM LEFT: The 6 volts battery stick of the Magcharger, the skinny 6 volts  battery stick of the Ultra Stinger, the plastic carrier for the six 123’s batteries of the Surefire M-6 and last the aluminum and Delryn 12 volts carrier of the Borealis 1050 lumens flashlight.








 The Maglite 3 D is the most popular light carried by almost everybody in a truck or car. The 12 ½ inches of length and the thirty one ounces of weight make also a good impact weapon for emergencies, moreover, is the affordability of the light that can be obtained almost anywhere for less than $20, and, by the way, it is a quality instrument with tight tolerances and proudly still made in the USA.
So the Maglite 3 D is going to be our first test and beam shot, the light is quite waterproof to a good extend, my neighbor’s kids use one to collect coins from the bottom of the pool in a game they have.
The Maglite 3 D output 39 lumens and runs on three of the popular D size alkaline batteries; it will run for an hour before the output drops to 20 lumens due to the sag that alkaline batteries exhibit under load.

BEAM SHOT OF THE MAGLITE 3 D  (39 LUMENS)






MAG Instruments also produce a powerful rechargeable police light called the Magcharger, www.maglite.com  this light is used by many police departments in the states and abroad; this light is the size and shape of a regular Maglite 3 D but with 2 rings of steel where the contacts for the charger are.
This light will output 200 lumens (40,000 candlepower) and I think that the price is about $120.00 a well built quality light of 12 ½ inch and a weight of thirty one ounces, it works with a 6 volt system on a stick of Ni Cads batteries; the charger will charge the light in 12 hours and as the Ni Cad batteries sometimes acquire memory, it is necessary to discharge it full and recharge to erase the memory in the batteries after using it for a couple of weeks.

BEAM SHOT OF THE MAGCHARGER (200 LUMENS)






The Streamlight Ultra Stinger is the most powerful offering from Streamlight, a well known police flashlight provider, The Ultra Stinger will output 75,000 candlepower, lumens figure is 295 lumens, it also works with a 6 volt system of rechargeable Ni Cad batteries, formed in a stick, the light is very popular with many police agencies and also recharges in 12 hours.
Police station across America have racks of Ultra Stingers in chargers waiting for the night shift to arrive, the light is a lightweight at 12 inches and 15 ounces, I think that the price is around $130 in the street as some lights can be bought at discount from the web.
The address for Streamlight is www.streamlight.com there they have the whole line of Stingers and other police and emergency services lights.

BEAM SHOT OF THE ULTRA STINGER  (295 LUMENS)







Our SWAT teams and Special Forces use for entry and to blind suspects a powerful military type flashlight called the Surefire M-6 Guardian. This light works with those powerful 3 volts Lithium batteries that are sometimes used in cameras, the flashlight uses six of them disposables batteries to run the light at 500 lumens for 20 minutes; after the 20 minutes you have to dump the batteries and get another six fresh batteries in the carrier, which is of not importance when the agency pay for the batteries, but to us civilians, dumping $12.00 worth of batteries after a 20 minutes run can get to be expensive.
This light was until recently the most powerful in the world, and Surefire sells a good quantity of them despite the tag of $400 USD.
I used one for a while in my car because it fits my glove compartment, as the light is shorter and lighter than the ones we have been discussing so far.
At 8 inches 14 ounces it is quite compact, but it will make a poor strike weapon although the powerful beam of 500 lumens will blind men or animal.
If you want more information on this light the address of Surefire is www.surefire.com


BEAM SHOT OF THE SUREFIRE M-6  (500 LUMENS)






My red rechargeable Borealis flashlight at 1050 lumens (two million candlepower) is the king of all the powerful lights and the most powerful flashlight in the world at this time.
It is made on the “host” of 3D, so replacement shells are easy available and inexpensive and the owner can replace a shell that have been scratched or dented for a mere $20 if he wishes, and in only 10 minutes transfer the special parts, (some of us take pride in good looking equipment).
This light is seen deployment with some members of the border patrol to illuminate the frontier in their quest for illegal immigration. The light can throw a powerful beam for hundred of yards and in a pinch it can be used as headlights or a landing light.
Police officers are acquiring the Borealis to use the same way that they have been using the Maglite and Magcharger, the tremendous light output makes it ideal for accident sites and traffic stops.
It uses a 12 volt system of rechargeable high current NINH batteries in a beautifully made Rolls Royce carrier, the batteries don’t have any problem with memory and the new type of batteries used in this light can be away from the charger for more than a month before it needs to be topped off, and the recharging time of the light is only 90 minutes.
The run time of this light is 50 continuous minutes; it is 12 ½ inches long and weights 28 ounces. In test ran by the maker, the light was tortured and even shot with a .22 rifle without stopping emitting light. (As a video shows in the web site).
The light sells for $320 shipped directly from the maker, which is www.BlackBearFlashlights.com


BEAM SHOT OF THE BOREALIS  (1050 LUMENS)







I thought you guys will be interested to see all these lights in action, and I pointed them to a point in the fence next to the tree with the beams and camera shooting from a 35 yards distance, this is the longest distance that I have in the back yard

Although you can not take them in your night hikes (because of the extra weight) any of them will make a good addition to your car or truck gear, who knows,  maybe they can really help you out  of a tight situation like they did for me.

Respectfully

Watchmaker


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## watchmaker (Aug 25, 2007)

SPORTMAN XTREME HEADLAMP LED 
BY RAYOVAC

I also got this headlight at Wal-Mart. The light is really small and lightweight, it works with one AA battery that drives a one-watt Luxeon with considerable brightness.
It also has two red lights and a blue light (probably Nichias 5 mm) that are set up at a side of the main reflector, and the main reflector has a filter to diffuse the light and make quite a big flood. This feature permits this headlamp to be a thrower of considerable brightness and a flood light to do close-up chores while camping or even reading a book in bed.






Very versatile, the red light is a good feature for those that are considerate and will not shine a light in the face of others campers, and will preserve your night vision. Unlike others that I have seen before, this red light is good enough for walking.

The Nichia LED with the blue tint is billed as a tracking light. Good luck if you try to use the blue light for that purpose only: the main beam without the diffusing filter (that just moves to one side) is much better for tracking, as the white light will show the blood as a natural red color, while the blue light shows it in black.






This light will appeal to the most ultra lightweight backpacker; it is really small and light in weight. The run time is given at two hours, while the lumen output is given at 45.

I am very impressed with the ample flood given by the diffusing filter at close range.  It so happened that I was showing my car’s battery terminals to my brother-in-law that is a mechanic, and the little light was giving out plenty of illumination. I have found my new light for changing tires and looking under the hood, as well as hiking some trails.






I decided to make a new distance standard for head lights and I fixed it at 16 yards.  Some make it that far and some don’t; I believe that if a head lamp can’t make 16 yards it is not worth having.  This light makes a good throw to the 16 yards where my deer target was, as you can see in the picture of the beam shot.







I consider the price I paid for this light a bargain ($18.83) and it is available at Wal-Mart and I imagine in many other places.  It uses easily available AA batteries and is almost unnoticeable in weight and bulk. I highly recommend it as an alternative to more expensive lights, and although the two hour runtime will not seem to be enough for serious hikers that spend several days in treks, I think it is okay for a day hike.

Best wishes,
Watchmaker


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## watchmaker (Sep 4, 2007)

RAYOVAC SPORTMAN XTREME
2AA 3 WATTS LUXEON FLASHLIGHT

I found this one at Wal-Mart and a fortunate find it was, the light is about the size of a Surefire L-4 or Surefire E2L, it even has a switch similar in operation to the Z-52 switch of the Surefire, press once for momentary, and twist the tail cap for permanent.

The package claims 80 lumens and it probably is, but of course, due to the small reflector and being a diode, the light is diffused and doesn’t have good throw, but good enough to make it comparable with other Luxeon III’s that I have seen at much higher prices.






Yes, the price was $25.00 and therefore makes this light a bargain, and another great feature is while others lights consume the expensive 123’s, this one works with two AA batteries.

The body holds a nice clip that makes it unnecessary to carry the light in a holster. It even has a lanyard if you want to keep it with you when you open your hand to do any other task.

The run time is given at two hours, which is good and even better than others lights of this power can give even using 123 batteries.
If you need more runtime than this, you can buy the exact light in the 1 watt version with an output of 45 lumens and a runtime of five hours.
For a long time I have been using rechargeable Nimh AA batteries. I use them for all my power-hungry gadgets, GPS’s, two-way radios, cameras, etc. The Nimhs provide me no-guilt runtime and, at the same time, helps the environment.

Beam shot at 26 yards, camera at 18 feet from the target.  I moved the deer up front a little, so the background and the leaves from my cherry tree will not interfere with the picture. I should cut the overgrown bushes that are taking over the fence, but the weather hasn’t cooperated lately for doing yard work.






Cheers,
Watchmaker


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## ctenidae (Sep 10, 2007)

How big is the storage shed for all your flashlights? Great info, but wow. That's a lot of lights.


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## Bumpsis (Sep 17, 2007)

*Maglight upgrade?*

During a recent trip to a hardware store I noticed LED replacement light element (bulb?) that fit any of the 2,3 C, D size Maglights. It looked like a single LED. The package description was implying that the LED upgraded Maglight will be much more powerful.

This light element was almost as expensive as a new flashlight (about $ 19).

Any experiences? opinions? Is it worth it?


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## watchmaker (Sep 17, 2007)

Bumpsis said:


> During a recent trip to a hardware store I noticed LED replacement light element (bulb?) that fit any of the 2,3 C, D size Maglights. It looked like a single LED. The package description was implying that the LED upgraded Maglight will be much more powerful.
> 
> This light element was almost as expensive as a new flashlight (about $ 19).
> 
> Any experiences? opinions? Is it worth it?




Yes, to my eyes the power is just a little bit more, hardly noticeable, but the run time is much more.
Here is a post I made not long ago about the new Maglite LED 2 D


MAGLITE 2 D LED
I was intrigued by this light for a while; I knew that the only difference from a regular Krypton 2 D model was in the self contained “bulb” of Luxeon LED.

Still I wanted to try it against a regular Krypton bulb model to see if the increase in price was going to provide an increase in performance.
Recently the Krypton White Star bulb specifications was upped to 36.5 lumens and 16,200 candlepower, I have in my arsenal a brand new Maglite 2 d with Krypton bulb and I just bought a new 2D LED model for the test, you can see them in the picture side by side, they are the two black lights.
The red is also a Maglite “shell” or “host” as I like to call them, but the interior have been changed into a Black Bear 720 lumens powerhouse.
If you are not familiar with the modifications of Black Bear Flashlights, they are full of special components and some skilled labor to convert the regular 2 D’s, 3D’s and other formats, into incredible bright lights outputting 220, 426. 720, 856 and 1050 lumens.







In playing the new LED against the Krypton model, my observation is that the LED light produces a more smoother beam than the Krypton model, the intensity of the beam is, in my opinion not changed, but is of course, whiter.

You can see the results here in my pictures taken at 35 yards distance. I have not seen any place in the package or in the instructions where it mentions the amount of lumens emitted by the three watts Luxeon diode of the new light, but the pictures will help to visualize it.

THE 2D KRIPTON BULB






THE 2 D WITH 3 WATTS LED






AND THE BLACK BEAR 720 LUMENS







The package mention the increased battery life and the more rugged emitter (LED’s doesn’t have a filament to burn and can last for 100,000 hours) so the light is an improvement over the Krypton model.
The light has a good throw thanks to the two inch diameter reflector that really help to deliver a beam at long distance, it is the best thrower of all the 3 watts LED in the market, it is an ideal light to keep in car or truck for emergencies and even if necessary, to use as a whacking tool (who knows, you may need it to check for proper inflation in the tires).

The light was on sale at Wal-Mart and I paid $25.00 for it, I think that for that price you get a LOT of quality in a very rugged light that will take abuse and even work underwater.
I recommend the new Maglite 2 D 3 watts LED highly, at 23 oz and ten inches long it is not too heavy but it makes a good impact tool, I know, I have used one to drive tent stakes when camping in the wild.

As for the Black Bear 720 lumens of Black Bear Flashlights, this is a light in another dimension, the internals parts are made with infinite precision and the highest material quality, the Rolls Royce battery carrier (it carriers six rechargeable Nimh batteries) is a work of art, the reflector is a heavy walled solid aluminum and the bulb holder is a quality aluminum and ceramic component, the lens is Pyrex and the torch is heavily modified for the lowest internal resistance.
This Rolls Royce of a flashlight largely hand made, is driving a super-bulb producing 720 lumens of light, only superated by the BOREALIS 1050 lumens, another Black Bear product that is made on the host of the 3 D, 12 ½ inches long and 28 oz.
www.BlackBearFlashlights.com

Back to the Maglite 2 D, LED this light is a quality product made proudly in the USA, the threads are cut with precision and without play and the interior is anodized as well as the outside, the tolerances are minimal and to think that all this quality can be had for less than $30 USD is a miracle of new manufacturing techniques. If some of you are old enough, you may remember that when the new Maglite came into the market in the 1980’s the retail price were $60 USD and the government agencies were flocking to buy them at that price, for the increased quality and innovation that it represented over the other lights in the market then.
www.Maglite.com

For years I had kept a 2D in the glove compartment of my cars and in the trunk the more powerful 6 D’s; I had two of them, one fitted with an orange traffic cone for road emergencies.
The addition of LED technology make the Maglites better than ever, there is many more lights using 3 watts LED’s on the market, but none with the reach of the Maglite and as affordable as they are.


All the best
Watchmaker


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## Bumpsis (Sep 18, 2007)

thanks for the feedback, watchmaker.
All these flashlights and binoculars must cost you a fortune. Although, quite a few members of these forums are serious equipment/gadget nuts, you, sir, most definitely take the cake! 
But then, without your participation, I'd still be wondering about that LED upgrade, so keep on..
 By the way, what's your knife collection like?


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## watchmaker (Sep 21, 2007)

Bumpsis said:


> thanks for the feedback, watchmaker.
> All these flashlights and binoculars must cost you a fortune. Although, quite a few members of these forums are serious equipment/gadget nuts, you, sir, most definitely take the cake!
> But then, without your participation, I'd still be wondering about that LED upgrade, so keep on..
> By the way, what's your knife collection like?



Thank you.
Knife collection is big.

Cheers
Watcmaker


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## watchmaker (Sep 26, 2007)

POWERFUL FLASHLIGHTS 
BEAR CUB 220 LUMENS AND SUREFIRE M-4, 225 LUMENS

Hi guys,
I have been testing recently two lights that are very similar in output, although the beam pattern is more open in one of them, and the supply of power is very different from the other.

I am a flashaholic, a disease that is kept in check only by buying and using lights, as I own more than two hundred of them; I am well aware what is good and for what purpose. 
Even that these lights are a little big for regular pocket carry, they are excellent lights to carry in a pack if a very powerful light is needed.
 The M-4 with the 225 lumens lamp is what I have used for years with satisfaction, except for the $8 per hour that cost to run this light with the four 123’s batteries.

THE SUREFIRE M-4 AND THE RECHARGEABLE BEAR CUB 








The M-4 is 9 inches long and quite light in weight, it has a stippled reflector that diffuses the light into a flood, which in my opinion is more flood than it is needed; I would like to see this light marketed with a smooth reflector for more useable throw.
The light is made out of aluminum and anodized with the military type III of hard anodized that leaves the light a green-grey non reflective color.
 The Surefire M-4 cost $330 in the Surefire web site and anywhere else.
For more about the Surefire M-4 contact Surefire at www.surefire.com

BEAMSHOTS FROM 26 YARDS, CAMERA AT 12 FEET FROM DEER

BEAMSHOT OF THE SUREFIRE M-4







The rechargeable Bear Cub is made by Black Bear Flashlights; it uses two state of the art Lithium Ion rechargeable batteries for 90 minutes run time outputting 220 lumens. This light is made 
using the “host” of a maglite 2 C, which means than after years of hard use when the light is scratched or dented, you can renew it just by buying a new “host” for about $14.00.
The light is also 9 inches long, it has a smooth reflector that concentrates the beam and shoots it a long way.
 The light is sold with a Li Ion charger that will charge the batteries in 3 ½ hours, so it is no problem to have it ready for the next morning, fully charged. These batteries last for 1,000 recharges so you have 1500 hours of use before needing another set of batteries. 
Before the M-4 can run for 1500 hours it will have spend $12,000 in batteries!
Extra lightweight Lithium Ion rechargeable batteries cost $30 per pair, so carrying an extra pair in a pocket will give you another 90 minutes of white intense light.
When these lights are not used in the trails they make a formidable tactical light for home defense, with the capability of momentarily blinding an opponent.
The Bear Cub is available from the maker for $130 shipped, for more about this light contact www.BlackBearFlashlights.com

BEAMSHOT OF THE BEAR CUB








All the best
Watchmaker


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## watchmaker (Oct 3, 2007)

For hikers in a very low budget, this is a great light.



DORCY METAL GEAR 
1 WATT LUXEON LED FLASHLIGHT

I was walking by the flashlight aisle at Wal-Mart, when I spotted a side rack of these lights and I was instantly attracted because the Dorcy name is recognized as an innovative and progressive name in flashlights having put out in the market quality items before for no too much money.

The light is all made out of metal and is quite heavy (no aluminum here) the package will not say how much it weights, and my electronic fish scale refused to work today Sunday, so I am only guessing it at about 7 oz.







The light works with three AAA batteries that are included in the package, after unscrewing the clicky tail cap you discover a battery carrier for the 3 AAA and after installing them and closing the tail cap you have good illumination.

It is given in the package at 45 lumens and I think that is right, the beam is white enough without any tint of yellow or purple, nowhere in the package is run time mentioned, but I estimate it at five hours, which is a lot.
As I always use Nimh rechargeable batteries the runtime I get is guilt free, this light is a good value and is well made, yes the clip look a little cheap, but it works fine and is very sturdy, it was clamping my pants without a belt securely enough that I was not afraid of losing the light.

It is plenty of flat surfaces in the light, so it is anti-roll, a good feature, another thing I like is the “tactical” click tail cap, the action is very positive.

As always I took a beam shot at 26 yards from my deer head, you can make comparisons with the others lights in the thread, to see how this one perform.






Before I close, I want to tell you about one of the nicest features of the light, the price.
I just pay only $4.00 for it, a bargain for a light of this quality.

Best
Watchmaker


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## watchmaker (Oct 22, 2007)

3 LED CAP LIGHT
BY MASTER VISION

I have seem them advertised in several catalogues, but never actually used one, and I wanted to know how good the light was and how practical for hunting or hiking.

The cap light is drive by two coin cell batteries # 2032 and reported to last for 75 hours, WOW!
The light weight 1.24 oz. with the batteries installed, which it will endear to many ultra lights hikers, the instructions also report 36,000 Millumes (which I have never hear of them before) as in the industry we use lumens or candlepower to measure the output from lights.

The three LED’s are adjusted to focus at a central spot at close distance and the “white light” has a strong tint of purple.

The light can be clipped only in the underneath of the cap, as if trying to put it on the top of the bill the curved casing will prevent the clips from engaging. I will have preferred that the light be in top of the bill, but in use it really didn’t put any annoying reflections into my eyes.







The cost of the light is only $9,99 so it may be unfair to compare it to my Peltz Tikka with 3 LED’s but that is what I had used for years to hike well marked trails.
My Tikka is a much whiter light and with much more throw in the beam, this light maximum range will be about 20 feet, I shudder to think that some people will use it for hunting and get lost as a reward.

For chores inside the house it will be okay, I see this light could be a help in looking inside the hood of the car and for working at replacing a switch in the wall.






This time it will not be any beam shots as the light is so poor unless is in top of the target that will interfere with the camera.
The information about the run time of 75 hours is printed in the back of the package, while in the interior of the sheet of paper the instructions in English and Spanish give the runtime as 24-36 hours.

Best regards

Watchmaker


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## watchmaker (Nov 11, 2007)

THE PHOENIX LANTERN
WITH MOTION SENSOR

Hi guys,
I gave this little lantern to my son a few years ago, when he was out camping with the Boy Scouts.
This summer we had opportunity to use it again (after rediscovering it wrapped in a sleeping bag) when we went camping in the Adirondacks Mountains of N.Y.

The motion sensor part of the light come in handy to watch a family of raccoons feeding in some table scraps that we had placed at certain distance. The light been where the food was, every time that they come up to the food, the sensor will detect the motion and light up the scene. That way we in complete darkness were able to watch the raccoons and had a good time.

The light function for five hours on two AA batteries, and for 200 hours in the sensor mode, the rocker switch have on, off, and sensor.
It weights 3 oz without the batteries and the size is 4” by 2.2”. It comes with the cord to hang the lantern from the ceiling of the tent, that way when you move at night it will illuminate the tent without you having to search in the dark for a light.

CMG (Course made good) Phoenix motion sensing lantern.






Cheers
Watchmaker


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## watchmaker (Nov 20, 2007)

*THE BOREALIS FLASHLIGHT, 1050 LUMENS

​*
Three years ago the Borealis flashlight was conceived to be the most powerful military/police flashlight in the world. At 1050 lumens the beam of light is very similar to a two million candlepower spotlight, all that power cased in a 12 ½ inches long, 28 oz. light, that will run for 50 minutes before needing a recharge. Then the light uses a fast RC charger that does the job of recharging the high current batteries in 90 minutes.

Three years ago everybody was in awe of the Surefire M-6, a military/police light that makes 500 lumens for 20 minutes run time on six disposable 123’s batteries, at a cost of almost $12 per twenty minutes run.
When the agency pays for the batteries, all is well, but for the civilians that wanted to have those mega lumens of light, there was no option. Black Bear Flashlights wanted to produce a rechargeable light that surpassed the M-6 and still be affordable for those with mortgages and families, and the result was the Borealis 1050 lumens flashlight.

The light was conceived to make use of a well known flashlight shell that is available anywhere, that way after years of hard use, the shell can be replaced for less than $20 USD and in ten minutes of the owner’s time.
The super-bulb that is almost 3 ½ amps needs some very powerful batteries; those nine AA batteries of high current are housed inside a Rolls Royce battery carrier that has also a charging port on the negative side. Plugging the RC fast charger in this port for 90 minutes, will recharge the powerful AA Nimh batteries.

THE ROLLS ROYCE BATTERY CARRIER AND THE RC FAST CHARGER








The Borealis also has some especial components to cope with the increased heat from the bulb. A ceramic switch/bulb holder, a solid aluminum reflector and a Pyrex lens, take care of the high temperature issue.


The BOREALIS is the highest intensity incandescent flashlight available in the market. Some HID’s lights throw more lumens, but those are considered searchlights and not flashlights; as a HID can take as much as 30 seconds to start up, they are NOT instantaneous as the incandescent flashlights are.

HERE ARE SOME COMPARISON BEAM SHOTS AT 35 YARDS WITH THE MOST POWERFUL MILITARY/POLICE FLASHLIGHTS.
THE CONTENDERS FROM LEFT;
MAGLITE 3 D, MAGCHARGER, ULTRA STINGER, SUREFIRE M-6, AND BOREALIS







MAGLITE 3 D (the most popular police flashlight)







MAGCHARGER







ULTRA STINGER







SUREFIRE M-6







BOREALIS  RECHARGEABLE











Black Bear Flashlights spends several hours on each light working on fixing all the internal resistance issues and pro-gold all contacts and components for an increased conductivity. This results in their trademark of intense WHITE light as more voltage reaches the super-bulb. This bulb is not a flashlight bulb, but one made for powerful medical instruments.

THE BOREALIS ROYAL MODEL, WITH THE NEW LOW PROFILE STAINLESS STEEL CRENELLATED BEZEL AND QUICK DETACH SWIVEL.







Police officers have adopted the Borealis for its tremendous throw and flood capabilities; hunters have abandoned their spotlights for the easy carrying of the Borealis, and civilians looking for a powerful light for the car or for home defense are flocking to the Borealis flashlight.
Respectfully

Watchmaker


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## watchmaker (Dec 7, 2007)

I found another independent review of the Borealis flashlight.


http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=220352

Cheers
Watchmaker


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## watchmaker (Dec 19, 2007)

ULTRA FIRE FMR1 REBEL LUXEON
200 LUMENS
ONE CR 123 A BATTERY

I bought this light from Deal Extreme for $23.24 shipped. I was very curious to try one of the Rebel 200 lumen new Luxeons and I think this is the best way to try one inexpensively.

The light has a click on, click off switch and five modes of intensities.  The low mode is 30 lumens and is said to last for 24 hours.  Another is 100 lumens for six hours, and the 200 lumens mode is three hours; then you have a strobe mode and an SOS mode.

I used a new Battery Station 123 and in the high 200 mode it lasted for ½ an hour, and it gets hot very quick. I don’t know if the poor run time is the fault of the battery that was under-charged, or if the light will perform the same with others 123’s, but that is the results I got.







Due to the small head, the flood effect is quite pronounced and the throw is poor for a 200 lumen light, but I was expecting it to be that way based on experience with other small headed keychain-type lights.







Two hundred lumens in a two inch head of an incandescent will put a level of illumination that is tremendous in comparison to the small head of the Rebel 200 lumens. So we are in a time when we can no longer make an assessment based on the lumens figure, that is when the comparison pictures that I have been taken show the value, as the viewer can see for himself how the different lights with the same value in lumens output perform in real life.

If I consider the low price I like the little light in general, excepting the side switch that can be a little hard to find in a rush, as it is kind of recessed in the head of the light and difficult to find by feel alone. I will have preferred a tail switch such as I have in my Fenix L1D, but it is a tremendous price difference between the two lights, so all things considered I think that the Ultra fire is a great value, and I can put up with the side switch.

After trying to like the clip for a couple of weeks, I ended throwing it away, it is too flimsy and I will not trust it to keep the light in my pocket. The light is regular anodized, but had stood well the use in my pocket with keys and coins.

Here is my usual 26-yard beam shot against my deer head with the Ultra Fire 200 lumens







And here is a beam shot with the 220 lumens Bear Cub rechargeable that sport a two inch head and have a range of 150 yards.







All the best,
Watchmaker


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## watchmaker (Jan 13, 2008)

STREAMLIGHT TWIN TASK 2 L

It is easy for me to do an objective review of this light. I have been using a couple of them for two years, quite often (not exclusively because I own other lights also for everyday use).

The light has performed extremely well for me. The Twin Task uses for power two lithium 3 volts, 123 batteries, and it have two light sources, one xenon bulb of 72 lumens and three Nichia 5mm LED’s of about 7 lumens each.
The LED mode will last for 28 hours (I have to take the word of the manufacturer for this, because I haven’t done a run time that long). And the Xenon bulb’s run time will last for 2 ½ hours.
The light is quite comfortable in the hand and similar to others 123’s lights, measuring 1.34” wide and 5.43“ long, and weighing at 3.37 oz.

Due to the micro-faceted reflector, the flood with the three LED’s or the Xenon bulb is ample.  If you don’t have to illuminate things at a distance the light is useful for chores inside the house or in the campsite or trail.
I have used it mostly with the three LED’s and I have come to believe the run time of 28 hours claimed by the manufacturer because after two years of sporadic use the light is still going in the same battery set.

The switch is on top of the head, as this is not a “tactical” light I found the switch convenient, so does my wife, that have the same model but in Titanium finish.
The focus is adjustable, but even in the tight setting the light have a lot of flood. I have lend my second light to my hunting pal Frank, that left it on the three stand for a week, on returning the light it was just the same in finish having weathered the week without any mark or discoloration. So, I didn’t have any problem dunking it for a couple of hours in a big glass of water to see if it really was waterproof, and yes, it was, so far at this depth.






The beam shot at 26 yards using the xenon bulb doesn’t look impressive at all, and that is because the reflector is designed for extreme flood, but that is okay, this light is mostly for using indoors, walking the dog or for hiking a trail at the most.







In this picture one of my Twin Task have a Velcro tape, this match with the Velcro in my baseball cap, and allow me to have my hands free for doing any chores while directing the illumination where I am looking.






The street price is about $32 USD and I think that it is quite reasonable for the quality of the product, based on my experience with it I can recommend it highly.

Best regards

Watchmaker


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## watchmaker (Jan 13, 2008)

THE BLACK BEAR 720 LUMENS
RECHARGEABLE FLASHLIGHT

The Black Bear 720 lumens flashlight is 10 inch long and weights 23 oz. It has all the same high quality state of the art components as its bigger sister the Borealis 1050 lumens.

The Black Bear is made on the “host” of the Maglite 2 D., which is one of the advantages of the Black Bear System, as when after hard use, if the light is scratched or dented, a new host can be replaced inexpensively available almost anywhere, and the transfer of parts takes only ten minutes of the owner’s time.

The only difference between the Borealis and the Black Bear 720 (beside the shorter length) is in the shorter Rolls Royce battery carrier (for six batteries) and the reduced voltage super-bulbs.
The light has a 40 minutes run time and outputs an incredible 720 lumens, all this with rechargeable Nimh in the Rolls Royce battery carrier. This unit plugs into the charger for a 4 ½ hours charge.

THE BLACK BEAR 720,  ROLLS ROYCE BATTERY CARRIER AND CHARGER







It is almost impossible to talk about the Black Bear 720 without mention its closest competition, the Surefire M-6.
The Surefire M-6 is well known in the tactical circles as the light used by SWAT teams and Special Forces, This light that cost close to $400, is 500 lumens for a run time of 20 minutes, running on six disposable 123 batteries, yes that is right! it uses six batteries, a value of $12 for a 20 minutes run time.

THE BB720 IS NOT MUCH LARGER THAN THE M-6, AND IT HAS A BETTER BATTERY CARRIER







Clearly, the Black Bear 720 lumens is a better value as the batteries are rechargeable, with a life of 1.000 recharges and the run time is of 40 minutes.
When the BB 720 needs new batteries after 666 hours of running, a new set costs only $30.
While the M-6 has only one choice in reflector finish, the light stippled, the BB720 has a choice of four reflector finish, to customize the light to your work. Wildlife officers doing deer census in the field will want the long throw capabilities of the Smooth (mirror finish) reflector, same as firefighters that need to punch a hole in the smoke. Others can use the Orange Peel for a little more flood, and the law enforcement officers will like the capabilities of illuminating an entire warehouse with the extra flood provided by the Light Stippled and Medium Stippled reflectors.



None of the other incandescent flashlights used for military/police work will get near the lumens output of the BB720, the Magcharger is 200 lumens and the most powerful of the Streamlights, the Ultra Stinger, is 295 lumens.
The shorter size of the Black Bear 720 makes it a natural to store in the car, inside the glove compartment, and it is not too heavy to be carried in a trench coat or overcoat pocket and the power in lumens compares to a car’s headlights or to a one and a half million candlepower spotlight, really an amazing performance for a light of this size.

Surefire M-6 






Black Bear 720







Like its bigger sister the Borealis 1050 lumens, (12 ½ inches 28 oz.),  the BB720 is hand made one by one on a semi-custom basis, using state of the art components and lots of hand labor to reduce internal resistance to make the white light that is the trademark of the Black Bear Flashlights.

All the best
Watchmaker


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## watchmaker (Jan 19, 2008)

INOVA X5 T LED FLASHLIGHT

My INOVAS X5 Tactical are about two years old; I bought them because the futuristic design, quality of materials and workmanship and because of the revolutionary technical advances in illumination was state of the art at the time of my purchases.

The INOVA X5 is a beautiful light, the smooth soft flood provided by the five Nichias 5mm LED’s is unparallel (or was at the time) in flood light illumination for short range.
Comparing it with others LED lights of the time like the Peltz Tikka (3 LED’s) the illumination provided by the elegant INOVA was far superior in flood and in range.

Probably the reason is the two 123’s batteries that the light works with, we have here 6 volts of power for the five Nichias, providing up to twenty hours of run time.







Physically the light is 865.” in diameter and 4.75 “long and weights 3.56 oz. the flats along the body provide a nice grip, the tail cap is knurled very fine and it have a transverse hole for a lanyard. The tail cap is a “tactical” one in the sense that it can be pushed momentarily (on the soft pad) for illumination or can be locked steady for constant by screwing it more. It also have a lock up feature (unscrewing the tail cap a little) to prevent accidental activation.

I think that I paid about $37 or so for this light, it is a high quality light and worth the money, it will not have a long range and the stated 120 feet in the literature of the package seems a little excessive to my eyes, in any case it is a flood light and not a light for distance.

For the same reason I am not doing a beam shot to my customary deer target at 26 yards, the camera will not process enough light at that distance.
But this beam shot at 13 feet can’t give you an idea of the soft even flood illumination with a more intense center.









There are some X5 that have a different switch (one that is not tactical) these lights doesn’t have the “T” denomination in the package.
 The user of this light for the first time will be surprised by the arrangement of the batteries.  They are installed with the positive going toward the tail cap.  The threaded tail cap is butter smooth in the threads, high quality all the way in this light, good solid feel without being heavy and according to the literature, crush-proof to two thousand pounds.

The lights come in black matte anodizing or satin nickel, (called Titanium finish)  and I have one of them sporting RED LED light, this red light X5T for some reason needs only one 123 battery. This is the light I use to drain all capacity from 123’s batteries that can not longer power my incandescent Surefire Centurion III. You can get several more hours of illumination from those “depleted” 123’s when used in this light.
Although we have now more powerful LED lights, the INOVA can provide many hours of illumination from the batteries and is a pleasure to use such a well constructed and designed high quality torch.
Cheers

Watchmaker


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## watchmaker (Feb 9, 2008)

INOVA X 1
LED FLASHLIGHT

Unlike her big sister the Inova X5T light, the little X1 uses only one LED that is rated at 2 watts.
My sample purchased about two years ago has the loupe up front acting as a lens for the light. The location of it at a certain distance in front of the emitter creates a perfectly round and uniform in brightness beam of light.  It is well focused and can be described at the Batman spotlight sign without the bat.
The light is run by one AA battery and will last for two hours. More than three years ago I started using Nimhs AA rechargeable for my cameras, flashlights, GPS’s, two ways radios, rangefinders, etc. and I am very pleased with them, as they offer (almost) free electricity and permit me to use the lights without guilt and without contamination of the landfills with the alkaline batteries.

THEY COME IN BLACK OR NICKEL FINISH







The X1 is four inches long, 7.20 in diameter and weights 2.16 oz. and it has the same kind of tactical switch that his big sister the X5, with the same quality of components and high quality workmanship.

At first I was a little ambivalent in using this light for wood navigation, but in hunting I want to pollute the woods with the least amount of light possible, this very tight focus beam is ideal to spot the cat-eyes that I usually follow to my tree stand without disturbing the area with flood light, and it have served me well doing exactly this chore for me.

THIS IS THE BEAM SHOT AT 14 FEET







This is a great quality light that it can serve very well in a lady’s purse, I have given out several as Christmas gift to lady friends as the street price is only 18 USD and the quality of the light is superb.
Regards
Watchmaker


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## watchmaker (Feb 20, 2008)

THE FENIX P3D
FLASHLIGHT

I have purchased yet another light of the Fenix line. The new torch is the Fenix P3D, a multi-level light running on two 123 batteries.
The P3D I bought uses a premium (Q5) Cree 7090 XR-E LED. The light is digitally regulated and has six levels of illumination.

There are two modes of output that are selected by turning the bezel.  The general mode is: 12 lumens for 65 hours, by softly pressing the switch; the second mode will be 53 lumens for 13 hours; pressing again will put you in the 120 lumen mode for 4.8 hours; and again will access the SOS mode (also 120 lumens).

By turning the bezel you can access the turbo mode at 205 lumens, and pressing again softly on the switch will put you in the strobe mode of 205 lumens.

The light has a low battery indicator.  The indicator will strobe the light in low, very fast light; I had opportunity to test this when I put two inexpensive 123 batteries that I thought were both fully charged.
It seems that one of them was with a very low charge, even though it was a new purchase. I had learned to use only the best 123 batteries that I believe are the Surefire brand.
Putting the Surefire batteries in the P3D allowed the light to operate without a hitch.

The light is 4.5” long and 0.8 in diameter.  The anodizing is type III finish and the lens has an anti-reflective coating similar to what is put in eyeglasses.






As like the other models of Fenix lights, the P3D also can be used in candle mode, as the rubber button doesn’t protrude like in other lights that are uses as tactical.

A word of advice; use the 205 lumen mode very sparingly. The light gets hot very quickly in this mode and the excessive heat can damage the Cree emitter if used for a long time. If you need a light that can be used without damaging the LED in the higher setting for a long run, you have to purchase the Fenix T-1 that has a massive heat sink and bulky head that will draw the heat away from the Cree.

As the LED’s lack the infrared spectrum of light, the heat is concentrated near the head, instead of been thrown forward as the incandescent lights do.
The light comes with a handy holster.  This is one torch that I don’t mind not having a clip, as the holster is very flat and comfortable to wear.

This light is so handy that it has replaced my Surefire E2e that was the light I used to wear for years when I went out of the house. I also have another light on my key chain, another Fenix product, the L1D, a one AA battery light with multiple levels.

Carrying now the two Fenixes, I will have light for a long time if I am involved in a situation that I need to use them.

The P3D can be used as a tactical light if the distance involved is short, like in an interior house situation. However, if the light were to be used to illuminate somebody in the back yard, the brightness of the 205 lumens at say, my usual distance of 26 yards, will be not be sufficient to blind a person as the tactical lights are supposed to do. I know because I tested it on myself at that distance, and the blinding effect was not present.

To illustrate the point I use another light that is also in the 220 lumens bracket, the Bear Cub incandescent, 220 lumens for 90 minutes.  If you look at the pictures you will notice how strong the concentrated white beam of the Bear Cub is in comparison to the flood light of the P3D.

Also notice to the right of the subject how the incandescent light reveals leaves that are not shown in the beam of the Fenix. This is the famous lack of definition that I often talk in my posts; it can be translated as lack of detail from the LED beam.

For that reason I think that the 26 yards to the fence is the maximum range of the little reflector of the P3D. Bigger reflectors like in the Fenix T-1 with the same Cree Q,5 can reach as far as 50 yards. A word of advice, don’t try to make the little, svelte P3D do the job that is designed for the T-1, just confine the P3D for the house and other places with short range. 

P3D beam from 26 yards, 








Bear Cub beam from 26 yards









Coming back to the P3D, it has a strobe effect in the 205 lumens setting; it will not do anything different to my eyes than the actual steady 205 lumens light can do. Must be all my disco dancing in the ’70 had me accustomed to the strobe effect.

The little torch is good, that is why it is my new light over the E2e.  Placed in the holster or in your pants pocket, you hardly know that the light is there and a lot of cool features and power are just at your fingertips.
I recommend it highly.
Regards
Watchmaker


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## watchmaker (Mar 1, 2008)

THE ARC AAA FLASHLIGHT

There is a type of very small LED lights (called key chain light) that is ideal for police officers who have to write a report or a ticket. The light is very flood like and not very powerful at 5.5 lumens, it will not affect night vision much and will illuminate the pad very well if the light is clipped to your hat or epaulet.

The little ARC is small and almost weightless, it measures 2.7” long and 0.5 “in diameter and can last for 5 hours to 50 percent output on a regular AAA battery.
 The body of the light is 6061 aluminum with military hard anodized type III and coated with chem-cote in the interior.







Cost of the light is $29.95 for the regular model and $44.95 for the Premium model that has a more powerful LED of 9 lumens.

The light is provided with a clip that will stay very well put on the brim of a hat or cap, it also has a split ring to attach the light to a key chain. Of course it also makes a good light if attached to the bill of a sporting cap when camping.







There are some chores that require that you use your two hands, and the unobtrusive ARC is hardly noticeable until you need it.

As you can see in the picture, I use rechargeable AAA Nimhs as well as AA’s. The  new Nimh batteries are really powerful and have lots of capacity, 1,000 mah for the AAA, and 2700 or more for the AA’s. They can be recharged up to 1,000 times which make them a great saving over using alkaline batteries.

Besides, you will be helping the environment as well as your pocket; I highly recommend the new rechargeable Nimh batteries.
Cheers

 Watchmaker


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## watchmaker (Mar 24, 2008)

This is billed as tactical, but in the 60 lumens setting for 10 hours it will be a great light for the trail. And when needed the 225 lumens setting is there.

THE FENIX T-1
TACTICAL LIGHT
Fenix has come out with a new LED tactical light. It runs on two 123 batteries and outputs in the high setting 225 lumens for 1.5 hours. In the low setting of sixty lumens it lasts, according to the instructions, 10 hours.
This new light uses a Cree Premium Q-5 7090 XR-E that is said to make 225 lumens.  It could very well be as it trounces every other LED light that I have in the stables, including my darling E2e modded with MacGizmo PR T head.

The light output is really impressive for an LED; it even has a very decent throw that is sufficient for tactical use inside and even outside. 
I have tested it against other tactical lights like my Surefire Centurion III with P-91 lamp (200 lumens) and it really compares very well, to the point that I will carry from now on the new T-1 instead of the Centurion III.

My neighbor’s door is 50 yards away and the light illuminates the target quite well. The package says that the range is 200 yards, which is an exaggeration, and I can’t see any illumination at a target placed 200 yards away. My regular testing for long distance is a hydrant at 88 yards and a group of trees at 111 yards. This light will illuminate the hydrant, barely. I can see that the outline of the hydrant is there (The same with the Centurion III) but I can’t make out any detail or see it sharply. If the target were a human at that distance, I will be not able to tell if it is a bad guy with a gun or a nun with a cell phone.

My incandescent rechargeable Bear Cub light at 220 lumens can illuminate the hydrant and the group of trees at 111 yards and go beyond, It is well known that incandescent provide longer range and better definition. Granted the Bear Cub has a bigger reflector and the light itself is longer at 9 inches.

THE BEAR CUB 220 LUMENS, THE FENIX 225 AND THE SUREFIRE CENTURION III WITH P-91, 200 LUMENS







The T-1 has a massive head with a wall of 4.5 mm thickness, and the light is quite heavy in comparison with other tactical lights. But it is the price you pay for running an LED at 225 lumens, as all this mass of metal is needed to divert the heat away from the batteries.
You may know that the LED’s unlikely incandescent that throw the heat forward as infrared, accumulate heat near the source of light, that is why they have to have a heavy heat sink, this heavy head act as one.
Otherwise the heat will reach the batteries and when a certain point is reached the internal protection that the 123’s batteries have, will cut down the juice, and stop the light.
So, they advertise the light as been built like a tank, but now you know what is the real reason behind all that metal at the head.
The light is say to be waterproof and it passed my four hour test in a BIG glass filled with water. Now in winter is no way that I am going to test it further by doing some diving.
I love the switch; it is just have the right feel for the momentary action, so good that it can be strobe as fast as you want if that is your cup of tea for tactical encounters. It is permanent on by clicking it, and can be unscrewed to put it in safe mode for when you carry the light in luggage or back pack.

The tail cap of the switch has a hole for a lanyard that is included and you can stand the light on its tail cap on a flat surface for a candle mode. What you cannot do is use this light with the Roger-Surefire or cigar grip because the rubber button is recessed flat with the tail cap.
Inside the package I found a spare button and O rings, I applaud that move by Fenix, and it is appreciated as some of us use the lights hard.

The T-1 comes with a holster, which is okay, but it also have a sturdy clip that grasp my belt very well and lower the profile on your waist in comparison with the holster. The only thing about the clip is that it rubs on the body of the light when you want to access the low mode of 60 lumens. We will see how good is the hard anodized type III as the clip is rubbing against the light with a good pressure and I suspect will be soon marked by a line.
BEAM SHOT OF THE THREE LIGHTS ABOVE, 26 YARDS RANGE, CAMERA AT 12 FEET

FENIX T-1






SUREFIRE CENTURION III WITH P-91 LAMP






BEAR CUB 220 LUMENS






Anyway I think that the Fenix T-1 is one of the better lights that have hit the market lately, it is very rugged and is very well made, and well worth the price of 76 USD that I have paid for it.
Regards
Watchmaker


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## watchmaker (Apr 7, 2008)

*HUSKY 2D 3 WATT LED FLASHLIGHT

​*
Not for hiking, but a decent household flashlight for little money.

I was at Home Depot and I spied a new light in the flashlight section. The new torch is a HUSKY brand, which is a brand name of Home Depot. I have used some of their inexpensive lights; they are made in China and represent a good value in some models.

The new light uses two D batteries (that are included in the package) and the source of light is a three watt LED. The difference in this torch is that the switch activates three different levels of illumination.
The package lacks any instructions and doesn’t even mention the output of the light or the run time. So I am guessing that the first mode (the first click) is a 12 lumens light, second click at 40 lumens and the last click about 80 lumens.

The idea of having three different levels is good, it will conserve battery juice when you just need a little light for illumination, and at the same time, the other two settings are there for more lumens when you need to reach farther or put out more intensity.
As this thread is all about comparisons, I decided to pit the new HUSKY against a Maglite 2D LED 3 watt that I bought a few months ago. I purchased the Maglite from Wal Mart for $24 USD, but I think that it was on sale at the time, still price wise the two lights. Compare.

The HUSKY is ½” shorter, otherwise they compare physically to each other and they weight the same, although the HUKY have a slightly smaller head.
The outside of the Husky is finished in a slightly duller anodizing than the Maglite; both lights look handsome on the outside.
In the inside the Husky shows the threads of the tail-cap, body and head very rough. Removing the head I found an adequate heat sink, although the mounting of the LED looks a little lousy. I wanted to take a look at the reflector and plastic lens, but it was not possible to remove the bezel despite my superhuman and my weight-lifter friend efforts - the bezel seems to have been super-glued in place.

The tail-cap sports a flimsy lanyard that I will not trust to hold the light for long, and looking inside at the switch, I found it very cheesy looking, more appropriate for a toy than for a flashlight. The little strip of metal where the battery makes contact with the switch, it doesn’t look good either.

The Maglite 2D on the other hand, is a high quality product with butter smooth threads, a switch that will last forever and a lot of well thought-out features (cam action, self cleaning switch, etc).
The Maglite is an American product that should cost much more of what it does now. Old timers may recall that when they first show up in the 1980’s the price tag was $60 USD and that they were selling like hot cakes, the engineering of the Maglite was at that time well above any of the existing lights, including the Kel-Lite.

In the picture you can see the Maglite 2D LED on left, the Husky light in the middle, and the red one on right is a Black Bear 720 lumens, (1 ½ million candlepower) a custom made light that shows how much illumination we can put into a Maglite “host” 2D, with a little ingenuity, and if the people are willing to pay the price of a custom product.







Here are the beam shots for comparison, 35 yards to the fence.

HUSKY 3 watt






MAGLITE 3 watt






BLACK BEAR 720 LUMENS







My impression is that the Maglite has a much better beam, in color rendition and in intensity. Also, I can throw the beam of the Maglite much further than the Husky, even that both lights are 3 watt, the Maglite is better in quality of LED and power.
Granted - the Maglite has a 2” full reflector, while the Husky could be only 1 ¾ “  that could account for the better throw, but the Maglite definitely has a whiter beam and it is more intense.


All the best
Watchmaker


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## watchmaker (Sep 17, 2008)

Not for hiking, BUT...

VERY INTERESTING ARTICLE BY JAMES MAURER
ON THE BRIGHTEST LIGHTS IN THE WORLD
THAT YOU CAN GET OVER THE COUNTER.







THEY ARE ALL THERE
THE TORCH, THE POLARION, THE BOREALIS,
THE SUNFORCE, ETC.

READ IT IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN LIGHTS

http://www.jamesmaurer.com/worlds-brightest-flashlight.asp

CHEERS


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## cbcbd (Sep 17, 2008)

Hey WM,
have you checked out this thing yet:
http://en.petzl.com/ultra/range-ultra.html

350 lumens LED
I got to check it out not too long ago when the Petzl rep came over... it was pretty hefty and impressive.


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## Trekchick (Sep 18, 2008)

Sorry, late to the party again, but I go back to my standard, visor clip on light, which I got at Walmart!


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## watchmaker (Sep 23, 2008)

Trekchick said:


> Sorry, late to the party again, but I go back to my standard, visor clip on light, which I got at Walmart!




I got mine at Wal Mart, also. But it seem a diferent model. Here is the report that I did at that time.

3 LED CAP LIGHT
BY MASTER VISION

I have seem them advertised in several catalogues, but never actually used one, and I wanted to know how good the light was and how practical for hunting or hiking.

The cap light is drive by two coin cell batteries # 2032 and reported to last for 75 hours, WOW!
The light weight 1.24 oz. with the batteries installed, which it will endear to many ultra lights hikers, the instructions also report 36,000 Millumes (which I have never hear of them before) as in the industry we use lumens or candlepower to measure the output from lights.

The three LED’s are adjusted to focus at a central spot at close distance and the “white light” has a strong tint of purple.

The light can be clipped only in the underneath of the cap, as if trying to put it on the top of the bill the curved casing will prevent the clips from engaging. I will have preferred that the light be in top of the bill, but in use it really didn’t put any annoying reflections into my eyes.







The cost of the light is only $9,99  USD so it may be unfair to compare it to my Peltz Tikka with 3 LED’s but that is what I had used for years to hike well marked trails.
My Tikka is a much whiter light and with much more throw in the beam, this light maximum range will be about 20 feet, I shudder to think that some people will use it for hunting and get lost as a reward.

For chores inside the house it will be okay, I see this light could be a help in looking inside the hood of the car and for working at replacing a switch in the wall.






This time it will not be any beam shots as the light is so poor unless is in top of the target that will interfere with the camera.
The information about the run time of 75 hours is printed in the back of the package, while in the interior of the sheet of paper the instructions in English and Spanish give the runtime as 24-36 hours.

Best regards

Watchmaker


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## watchmaker (Nov 2, 2008)

Maybe not for hiking, but I have noticed folks buying the aftermarket lamps for their incandescent Surefires, and it prompted this post.


THE 200 LUMENS BATTLE

There are now a number of aftermarket lamps for the popular series of Surefire lights.
They will fit the Surefires series: 6P, C, Z, D, G, and maybe others.

I just received a new one that claims 290 lumens and is called a Cree R-2 (it’s supposed to be even more powerful than the Cree Q-5).
I decided to do a shoot out with an assortment of lights that I have in the 200 plus lumens class. That way the members can see how they perform against each other.

Run time was not measured for lack of time and because I am running short on 123’s batteries. The bigger lights, namely the Surefire M-4 with the MN60 lamp (225 lumens for 60 minutes on four 123’s disposable batteries) and the Bear Cub from Black Bear Flashlights (220 lumens for 90 minutes on rechargeable Li Ion batteries) are big throwers and with them you can see clearly objects 120 and 150 yards away.

On the other hand the small reflectors of the Surefires G-2, Centurion 2 and Fenix T-1 are dispersing all those lumens close by, creating a great flood.
Those pocket lights will be great to use as tactical lights by law enforcement personnel, and especially good at clearing houses, while the Surefire M-4 and the Bear Cub will make great lights for car, truck and the open spaces.

The literature of the Fenix states that it’s good for 200 yards, it will probably make a reflective target like a stop sign glow at that distance, but it would hardly  illuminate any other object. My perception from trials I made, is that this light as well as the others LED’s can’t be count to illuminate (poorly) objects beyond 60/70 yards.


In any case, a lamp upgrade if you own a Surefire pocket light, is a good idea as any of them are more powerful than the stock incandescent lamp of 65 lumens or the stock LED lamp of 80 lumens.


The lights as they appear in the picture are, from left to right:


Surefire M-4 MN60 lamp 225 lumens for 1 hour (running on four 123’s batteries)
Bear Cub 220 lumens for 90 minutes, rechargeable
Surefire G-2 in yellow. It is 65 lumens for one hour with the stock P-60 lamp
Surefire G-2 in black, Lumen Factory lamp incandescent of 160 lumens
Surefire G-2 in green, Cree Q-5 by Deal Xtreme, 200 lumens
Surefire Centurion 2 in Jungle Camo, 290 lumens (claimed) with the Cree R-2 lamp
Fenix T-1, 225 lumens using a Cree Q-5 lamp 








And now the pictures, target is 20 yards away, watch also the amount of side spill as well as the throw.

SUREFIRE M-4 DESVASTATOR 225 LUMENS






BEAR CUB RECHARGEABLE 220 LUMENS






SUREFIRE G-2 YELLOW 65 LUMENS






SUREFIRE G-2 BLACK LUMENS FACTORY 160 LUMENS LAMP






SUREFIRE G-2 GREEN, DEAL XTREME LAMP CREE Q-5 200 LUMENS






SUREFIRE CENTURION 2, CREE R-2  290 LUMENS (CLAIMED)






FENIX T-1 CREE Q-5  225 LUMENS








One word of caution with high intensity LED lights: most are not thermally regulated and they will suffer from their own heat if used for an extended period. They will get very hot and the tint will change. Short use of 5 minutes or less is recommended, especially in lights like the G-2 that has a plastic body and head.

All metal flashlights like the Surefire 6P are better at dissipating the heat, and in them a few more minutes of constant use can be achieved before the heat will damage the module.
The big heavy head of the Fenix acts as a heat sink, and this light can manage to run much longer without the heat affecting the module.

Besides, the Fenix has a second setting that will run the light at 60 lumens for 10 hours.
So, if you already have a Surefire you want to upgrade, the aftermarkets lamps are great.
If you need a new light look at the Fenix line.

If you need a truck, open spaces light, the Bear Cub is a great value as it is rechargeable and very bright as well as a 150 yards thrower.

Cheers

Watchmaker


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