The All Purpose Flashlight CHAT Thread

[NT2C]

My Sofirn IF19 came with an 850mAh Li-Ion (Li-CO) battery installed but all the specs in the manual refer to a stock 1,100mAh Li-Ion battery being stock and the basis for all the ratings.  That bugged me a bit so I reached out to Sofirn and found that they were having problems getting the higher-capacity batteries in quantity (they're not even listing any 18350s on their site) so they shipped it with what they had.  Looking around on Amazon the only 18350 batteries with a higher than 850mAh rating was a pair of IMR18350 Li-Ion (Li-MN) rated at 1,450mAh.  While still being Li-Ion batteries the chemistry is Lithium-Manganese, rather than Lithium-Cobolt, which makes them safer in one sense, gives them a higher capacity, but also less power.  It's a really weird kind of battery and it requires a device and charger with proper safety systems because the battery itself has none.  It will be interesting to see how the light does with one of these installed.  The light does have the proper safety settings in its software to protect these batteries from any dangerous operation, so at least that won't be a concern.

[NT2C]

I like the IF19 so much I just ordered another, and two extensions to allow them to use more standard 18650 batteries.  I also grabbed an IF22A (in red) while I was there.  The IF22A is the big brother to the IF19 with 100 more lumens, 236m greater range, and it runs on a 21700 battery giving it longer runtime and the ability to be used as a powerbank.  Expect a full review on it when it arrives.

[NT2C]

I got a package from the fine folks at Sofirn today.

Inside was the second IF19 I'd ordered, my red IF22A (pics will be in the review), extension tubes for both IF19s to allow them to use the bigger 18650 batteries instead of 18350s, pocket clips for the IF19s, and a pair of 3,000 mAh 18650s...shipped inside two free flashlights. 

Okay the freebies were just a pair of cheap zoomables but they can use the 18650s or 21700s, so not too shabby.

I installed one of the extension tubes on my IF19 and it turns it from a cute little mushroom of a flashlight to a palm-spanning barbell shape that really feels nice in the hand.

The red IF22A looks pretty nice and has a great beam.  I can't wait to test it tonight.

[NT2C]

Imalent SR32 120,000lm


Surpass the 100,000 lumens the brightest flashlight IMALENT SR32



Good gawd... 













I want one.  My birthday is in August, maybe it'll be for sale by then.

[flybynight]

Isn't that the one you can ignite fires with?

[NT2C]

Isn't that the one you can ignite fires with?

It's the world's most powerful so...

[12_Gauge_Chimp]

Picked up a couple cheapo Ozark Trail LED flashlights on clearance at my local Walmart yesterday.

For 74 cents a pop, they're not bad little lights. Just swap the crappy factory batteries for better ones and they'll last a good while.

Not sure how many lumens they're putting out. I think it's 50 lumens, but I'm only assuming that due to the '50' on the body of the light. Either way, they're bright little suckers.

I also picked up a little two LED magnetic hook light at a yard sale and all it needed was some new batteries. The old batteries were pretty much dead, so I popped in some new AAAs, put the cover back on, turned it on and was rewarded with bright light.

The magnet on the back of it was a joke, so I popped it out and now it's holding up a picture on my fridge. The weight of the light dragged the magnet down and it didn't stick very well because of that.

I've never heard of this company "PT Power", but I'm assuming it's a cheapo brand from China. Which is fine with me because this won't be a primary light. I've got others for that. Namely my Bushnell Pro 100 light I use as part of my EDC set up.

[Rednex]

While back i picked up a pair of the rechargeable Ozark trail ML750 lights. I like them bright enough to light up the back pasture. They sit on the night stands.

[Rednex]

Ok so in my never ending search for the perfect edc gear i have gone through some flashlights both battery, rechargable, and hybrid. These are just the flashlights i carry in my jeans pocket , never get out of bed without it. I have others for other things. All prices were at time of my purchase over the last few years. Sorry it got longer the i thought it would be.

Benchmark:
The Streamlight Microstream AAA.

Has 1 mode ( i like on and off) no need to click 5 times to get the right amount of light,pretty small. Sit low in pocket ( front left jeans pocket) and don't fall out. Double sided pocket click can clip to my hat. Pocket clip clips onto light, has gotten caught on seatbelt in truck and popped off. Does it for me at $19.99 on Amazon.

Contenders:

OLIGHT I3T 2 EOS
Might be the new benchmark i like this light. Runs off 1 AAA.Double sided pocket clip is screws on with the tail switch so it dont pop off. 200 lumens bright on high , multi mode but it just tail click on on high when ever i click it. Size is same as Streamlight Microstream AAA, sits low in pocket, hasn't gotten caught or fell out of pocket yet during testing.  Used it to walk a dark room, and had it clipped to my hat yesterday when working on my truck. Ran 4 hours non stop on high ( last 30 min it switched to low) on the factory Alkaline AAA. Also In addition to an AAA alkaline battery, I3T 2 is also compatible with a rechargeable battery, which can boost the maximum output to 300 lumens. Not sure if my Amazon rechargeable AAA can give it that kinda boost. Thinking of buying 6 more to replace all of my truck,car,edg lights for me and Mrs Rednex if i can go 2 more weeks without issues.  This does it for me at $19.99 on Amazon.


Streamlight Microstream rechargeable.

Multi mode was an issue having to keep clicking for mode. Little longer then the AAA version.Sits higher in my pocket, falls out when sitting. Pocket clip same as the AAA version, with same small issue. Didn't like the just slide head to open for charging port. Didn't do it for me at $33.99 on Amazon.

OLIGHT I3T EOS

About same size as the Streamlight Microstream AAA. Multi modes. Pocket clip is lower on flashlight so it sits higher in my pocket. Pocket clip is a clip on style and falls off, gets caught. Is double sided pocket clip to clip to my hat. Didn't do it for me at $17.99 on Amazon.

KunHe AAA

The big thing i didn't like was the head slides up and down to concentrate the light very easy. About the same as the Streamlight Microstream AAA. Didn't do it for me at $16.99 for a 6 pack, might be good as gifts.

ThruNite Archer Mini rechargeable

Nice light but to big for pocket carry, has a screw down cover for charging port.Multi modes with a lock out messed with me. Good for a truck light, except can't switch to off the shelf batteries . Mixed feelings at $19.99 on Amazon.

ThruNite Archer Pro rechargeable

Nice light but to big for pocket carry bigger than the mini, has a screw down cover for charging port.Multi modes with a lock out messed with me. Very brite probably good for a truck light, except can't switch to off the shelf batteries. Mixed feelings $24.99 on Amazon.

Had a Fenix LD02 it stopped working fairly early, pocket clip brock and was not double sided.
Had an Energizer Tactical to big, the tactical cuts on the body ripped jeans.
Have a Coast G19 not bad , but not to bright. No spill nice tight dot for inspections. Not double sided pocket clip.
They just didn't do it for me.

[EBuff75]

Wurkkos TD02 Flashlight Review 

I recently bought a Wurkkos TD02 on sale (50% off) at Amazon, just to try it out.  I figured that spending $20 for an 18650 flashlight with an included battery and onboard USB-C charging was worth the experiment.  I've played around with it a little, and here's my take. 

Picture of what came with the light:
You cannot view this attachment.

The flashlight comes with a lanyard, spare o-rings, USB-C charging cord, a 3000mah 18650 battery, and a simple instruction manual.  It's 0.8 x 4.8 inches and weighs 3.9oz, according to the Amazon listing, and it claims to have IPX-8 water resistance (1m submersion for 30mins).  There are a number of complaints on Amazon about the battery draining quickly or failing completely, but it's a standard 18650 so it's easily replaced if it fails. 

The build quality seems quite good and the anodizing is very nice and grippy.  In fact, the knurling on the body is some of the best that I've come across on any flashlight!  The pocket clip is very strong and despite the temperature warning on the head, it only got up to about 107F during extended testing on turbo, which is barely enough to feel warm.  The threads for the endcap are squared off and work smoothly.  The button isn't great, but I have other lights which are worse.  There are "wings" around the button on the tail which allow the light to tail stand. 

Thermal image of the light after running it for about 5 mins on turbo:
You cannot view this attachment.

There are five modes, moonlight (10 lumen), low (100 lumen), medium (400 lumen), high (1000 lumen), and turbo (2000 lumen), plus a strobe.  I can barely see any difference between high and turbo and the testing that I found online for the light shows that while the lower three levels are pretty close to their claim, the two highest ones underperform the manufacturer claim by about 25%. 

The button is a reverse clicky switch, so there's no momentary activation.  You must fully click it for the light to come on.  After that you can half-press it to change through the modes. A double-press from any level will activate the strobe.  The tint is a nice white, with no color shift into green or pink that I noticed, even at lower outputs.  There is a clean hotspot in the center (the light has a TIR lens), with good spill to the sides.

The picture below doesn't really do the brightness/spill justice, but at least you can see the color/tint
You cannot view this attachment.

Overall, this is a nice flashlight for $20 (with discount).  Even if I have to replace the battery, I've got many more and decent 18650 batteries aren't too expensive (I can usually find good ones for $6-8 each).  The onboard charging is nice if you don't have a dedicated lithium-ion capable charger.  The size is good for pocket carry and the excellent knurling makes it quite secure in your hand (although it might abraid your pocket if you clip it on frequently).

[12_Gauge_Chimp]

So I was doing a functions check on my supply of flashlights and I noticed one of them (a small, no name brand light I'd gotten from NT2C a few years ago) was exhibiting some funky issue with the light blinking and then coming on.

I swapped the battery with another of the same brand (a Voniko Ultra alkaline AAA), tightened down the little aluminum collar holding the tail cap switch in place, and the light did the same thing. It blinked a bit and then came on.

Which leads me to believe the problem isn't the battery, but something in the light itself. Something I'm probably too dumb to figure out since electronics aren't my strong suit.

The light itself is a good little light and I'd hate to have to toss it because I'm unable to figure out how to properly fix it.

[majorhavoc]

So I was doing a functions check on my supply of flashlights and I noticed one of them (a small, no name brand light I'd gotten from NT2C a few years ago) was exhibiting some funky issue with the light blinking and then coming on.

I swapped the battery with another of the same brand (a Voniko Ultra alkaline AAA), tightened down the little aluminum collar holding the tail cap switch in place, and the light did the same thing. It blinked a bit and then came on.

Which leads me to believe the problem isn't the battery, but something in the light itself. Something I'm probably too dumb to figure out since electronics aren't my strong suit.

The light itself is a good little light and I'd hate to have to toss it because I'm unable to figure out how to properly fix it.

Before you start contemplating bad LED driver boards or cracked solder traces, eliminate the low hanging fruit of potential problems first.  Clean the battery contacts.  If there's spring contact in there it may have become compressed and isn't making a reliable connection - try stretching it out. 

I've found that the eraser on a #2 pencil is useful for cleaning hard-to-reach contacts at the bottom of narrow battery compartments. 

[12_Gauge_Chimp]

So I was doing a functions check on my supply of flashlights and I noticed one of them (a small, no name brand light I'd gotten from NT2C a few years ago) was exhibiting some funky issue with the light blinking and then coming on.

I swapped the battery with another of the same brand (a Voniko Ultra alkaline AAA), tightened down the little aluminum collar holding the tail cap switch in place, and the light did the same thing. It blinked a bit and then came on.

Which leads me to believe the problem isn't the battery, but something in the light itself. Something I'm probably too dumb to figure out since electronics aren't my strong suit.

The light itself is a good little light and I'd hate to have to toss it because I'm unable to figure out how to properly fix it.

Before you start contemplating bad LED driver boards or cracked solder traces, eliminate the low hanging fruit of potential problems first.  Clean the battery contacts.  If there's spring contact in there it may have become compressed and isn't making a reliable connection - try stretching it out. 

I've found that the eraser on a #2 pencil is useful for cleaning hard-to-reach contacts at the bottom of narrow battery compartments.

I didn't even think of that.

ETA: Tried the pencil thing and it seems to have worked, but I'll have to check the light again later and see if that actually did fix my issue.

[majorhavoc]

So I was doing a functions check on my supply of flashlights and I noticed one of them (a small, no name brand light I'd gotten from NT2C a few years ago) was exhibiting some funky issue with the light blinking and then coming on.

I swapped the battery with another of the same brand (a Voniko Ultra alkaline AAA), tightened down the little aluminum collar holding the tail cap switch in place, and the light did the same thing. It blinked a bit and then came on.

Which leads me to believe the problem isn't the battery, but something in the light itself. Something I'm probably too dumb to figure out since electronics aren't my strong suit.

The light itself is a good little light and I'd hate to have to toss it because I'm unable to figure out how to properly fix it.

Before you start contemplating bad LED driver boards or cracked solder traces, eliminate the low hanging fruit of potential problems first.  Clean the battery contacts.  If there's spring contact in there it may have become compressed and isn't making a reliable connection - try stretching it out. 

I've found that the eraser on a #2 pencil is useful for cleaning hard-to-reach contacts at the bottom of narrow battery compartments.

I didn't even think of that.

ETA: Tried the pencil thing and it seems to have worked, but I'll have to check the light again later and see if that actually did fix my issue.

I'm full of ideas.  I make no promises that any of them are any good. 

[12_Gauge_Chimp]

The light seems to be working normally now, but I'll check again tomorrow and see if the problem resurfaces.

[12_Gauge_Chimp]

Well, the problem I was having with my light popped up again.  

Which leads me to believe the issue is the bulb itself, which doesn't appear to be replaceable.

So it looks like I'm now in the market for a similar sized EDC light to replace this one. 

ETA: I think I may have found the replacement for this light.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1013250033?pid=168600

[Rednex]

Well, the problem I was having with my light popped up again.  

Which leads me to believe the issue is the bulb itself, which doesn't appear to be replaceable.

So it looks like I'm now in the market for a similar sized EDC light to replace this one. 

ETA: I think I may have found the replacement for this light.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1013250033?pid=168600

Chimp that Stream light has been my sec pocket light for umm 7 or 8 years I guess. If you look a few post back in this thread I did a rundown of all my current sec pocket flashlights. The newer Plight T3 gen 2 is probably replacing the Stream light for me.

[flybynight]

Well, the problem I was having with my light popped up again.  

Which leads me to believe the issue is the bulb itself, which doesn't appear to be replaceable.

So it looks like I'm now in the market for a similar sized EDC light to replace this one. 

ETA: I think I may have found the replacement for this light.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1013250033?pid=168600

Chimp that Stream light has been my sec pocket light for umm 7 or 8 years I guess. If you look a few post back in this thread I did a rundown of all my current sec pocket flashlights. The newer Plight T3 gen 2 is probably replacing the Stream light for me.

I would second the Olight. Much more flashlight for same price ($ 19.99 at Olight store).

Excellent Capacity: A single AAA battery offers the i3T 2 a max power of 200lm output; 10440 rechargeable li-ion battery (not included) is also supported and can boost the light's max output to 300 lumens.

More Backup With Lower Temp: Compared with the i3T, this 2nd generation gets 31% more battery life, and 71% more runtime in High mode. We optimized the circuit to ensure its surface temperature less than 113*F even during long-time work.


https://www.olightstore.com/i3t-2-small-edc-flashlight

[majorhavoc]

Well, the problem I was having with my light popped up again.  

Which leads me to believe the issue is the bulb itself, which doesn't appear to be replaceable.

So it looks like I'm now in the market for a similar sized EDC light to replace this one. 

ETA: I think I may have found the replacement for this light.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1013250033?pid=168600

Chimp that Stream light has been my sec pocket light for umm 7 or 8 years I guess. If you look a few post back in this thread I did a rundown of all my current sec pocket flashlights. The newer Plight T3 gen 2 is probably replacing the Stream light for me.

I would second the Olight.

Thank you for translating.  I was thinking: Plight?  Plight?  Another high-end flashlight company I have to keep track of? 

[12_Gauge_Chimp]

Well, the problem I was having with my light popped up again.  

Which leads me to believe the issue is the bulb itself, which doesn't appear to be replaceable.

So it looks like I'm now in the market for a similar sized EDC light to replace this one. 

ETA: I think I may have found the replacement for this light.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1013250033?pid=168600

Chimp that Stream light has been my sec pocket light for umm 7 or 8 years I guess. If you look a few post back in this thread I did a rundown of all my current sec pocket flashlights. The newer Plight T3 gen 2 is probably replacing the Stream light for me.

I've carried a Streamlight Stylus Pro pen light for about that long.

And after I posted that link, I found an Olight I3T EOS light for a couple bucks less than the Streamlight.

If I can swing it, I'll probably buy both lights. Never a bad idea to have backups.