greatbear: (Default)
Phil ([personal profile] greatbear) wrote2013-02-07 01:43 am

Let there be light

Hullo, I'm, uh, Phil, and I, um, I'm addicted to flashlights (Hiii Phiiiiil!).

flashlights


Well, not so much addicted, more like a mini-hobby as I keep finding better and better ones over the years, and as my eyesight enters its second half century, I need more light to see the increasingly smaller pieces that make up my major hobbies these days. LED lights keep getting better, brighter and (sometimes) cheaper. I keep at least one flashlight in each of our vehicles, there is most likely a flashlight or two in every room of the house, and the workshop, lab and garage have plenty to choose from. This pic shows most of the "better" lights I have. I decided to gather them together, check and replace the batteries (I've lost a few good ones from prematurely leaking alkaline cells), lube the seals and threads, and gave them a good cleaning. All the lights in the pic are equipped with lithium primary or rechargeable cells, or NiMH rechargeables. No more alkalines.

The brightest of the bunch is the Kobalt 500 lumen LED light to the far right. The second brightest is, amazingly enough, the tiny Nitecore EC1 in the middle, almost tied with the big rechargeable Maglite "cop light" on the upper left. The big Maglite was just treated to a new battery pack and some repair work on the charger/holder. It normally resides in my old Dodge pickup. The little Nitecore is my everyday carry light, it has five brightness levels, a tiny red locator LED that also doubles as a low-level illumination that will last for days if not weeks on a fresh charge. The tiny light has so many features crammed into its tiny shell it ends up being a fun toy to play with.

Jeff rolls his eyes at my little addiction of flashlights, but he sure does expect one to be handy everywhere in the house. His eyes are aging along with mine. ;-)

[identity profile] redmoonriver.livejournal.com 2013-02-07 07:36 am (UTC)(link)
They also double well as...

*cough*

Sorry. Wrong script...

[identity profile] dan4behr.livejournal.com 2013-02-07 10:34 am (UTC)(link)
Somebody gave me a little LED flashlight that simply pops onto the end of a 9v battery - like a little illuminated cap. I love it. It stays on the counter in the kitchen and goes out in the darkness with me and the dogs.

When I was scrolling down the LJ feed, and before I saw the picture, I read the first line as "Fleshlights". I admit I got something of a anticipatory thrill.....

[identity profile] timbear.livejournal.com 2013-02-07 10:51 am (UTC)(link)
The most useful things I've found as I've got older is the little single LED keyring lights for those moments when you drop something in the dark. You've always got your car keys ...

[identity profile] maxauburn.livejournal.com 2013-02-07 01:33 pm (UTC)(link)
Now you need to get one of those "Headlights"
thingies that looks like a cap with a flashlight
on the front-those look mighty convienent with their "no hands" design.

[identity profile] ciddyguy.livejournal.com 2013-02-07 02:33 pm (UTC)(link)
I have a few flashlights as well. One of them was Mom's and has a flashlight, and a little fluorescent light on one side. It has good batteries in it, I also have a CFL lantern she gave me for Christmas a couple of years back.

I have the regular Maglite, but it currently has no batteries in it however.

I had an LED flashlight in the car, but it was one of the things that was taken last May when I was car prowled. :-(

However, I DO have a very bright halogen spotlight that plugs into the cigarette lighter that I've had over 30 years myself that does stay in the car.

[identity profile] theoctothorpe.livejournal.com 2013-02-07 03:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, flAshlights… nevermind.


I've heard the EC1 is a great torch. Seems fairly inexpensive as well as (obviously) compact. I'll have to check it out and get one next year (as I've decided to 'buy nothing' this year).

[identity profile] ironranger1.livejournal.com 2013-02-07 03:49 pm (UTC)(link)
My dad used to collect portable radios. When he passed away, I ended up with 30 plus transister style radios, which I passed on to friends and family. I'm down to 3 now.

[identity profile] champdaddy.livejournal.com 2013-02-07 03:54 pm (UTC)(link)
*envy*

[identity profile] merlinwon.livejournal.com 2013-02-07 04:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Awesomeness on the flashlights! I love them as well.. but not a collector.. just have a few odd ones! :)

[identity profile] otterdaemmerung.livejournal.com 2013-02-08 12:32 am (UTC)(link)
the Kobalt 500 lumen LED light

Thank you for shopping Lowe's. Last year, they moved my solitary confinement cubicle, where I sit and count clams money all day, right adjacent to the flashlights. Oooooo, shiny!

I've just discovered the Light Mine, made by Striker, which is a plastic French tickler round magnetic spiked LED light ball, which will stick to metals so that it makes a very handy worklight for working under cars or in other tight spaces. One of them has a red LED as well, so I plan to use it as a photographic safelight if I ever have to do any on-location print developing!

[identity profile] erstexman.livejournal.com 2013-02-08 04:42 am (UTC)(link)
As long as they are all charged up, you should at least be good for power outages and such...