[black bear 84]

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
Black Bear

[black bear 84]

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

[font="Calibri"]Black Bear[/font]

[tnvarmint]

That is some great info right there ! Terrific thread

[black bear 84]

THE CLASSIC SUREFIRE E1E EXECTUTIVE ELITE

FLASHLIGHT

This light is a beauty, short, light weight, with considerable power and with a decent run time for an incandescent light

In today’s market it is a little obsolete in the power department, as the Fenix line of small pocket/key chain lights put out more lumens and have more features.

Still, the Surefire E1e is the “classic” small light that arrived at a time when 15 lumens was only achieved with big lights using 2D batteries.



The E1e is extremely well made and finished in hard anodized type III in an olive drab finish; it weights 2.20 ounces and has a length of 3.40 inches. The lens is Pyrex and the reflector is stochastic, meaning that is finished with a light stippled pattern that makes the beam free of defects, rings and artifacts.



The light runs on one of the RC123’s batteries with a run time of 1.5 hours, the beam is nice, but will not throw far as the reflector is quite small, and small reflectors produce quite a flood.

The tail cap has three positions: unscrewed a couple of turns it will lock up the light (what is considered a safety position); screwed a little more, will allow activation of the momentary position by pressing the rubber button; screwed further, will activate the light on constant.









The little light charges the battery from the front, that means you have to take the head out to install the battery, as there is not enough room for the battery to enter if you remove the tail cap, as in most other lights.

The 15 lumens lamp is called MN01, and is 15 lumens of course; the MN02 is 25 lumens but it’s used in the E series Surefire that carries two batteries, as is the more powerful 60 lumens MN03.



I see this light as ideal for a woman’s purse or a man’s pocket. Although the retail price is $79 USD the light is so well made that is worth it. Finally, the light sports a clip that can be used to clip it to the edge of a pocket for quick retrieval, or to the bill of a cap if you need to do some chore using two hands.

Cheers

Black Bear

[black bear 84]

HUSKY 2D 3 WATT LED LIGHT

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


Black Bear

[black bear 84]

Q-BEAM MAX MILLION II

TWO MILLION CANDLEPOWER

SPOTLIGHT

I very recently bought a new Q-Beam two million candlepower spotlight. I am a big user of spotlights, in my case I use them to give demonstration of the power of the Borealis 1050 lumens flashlight, in police reunions, night shots, and seminars.



When my eight month-old battery for my two million candlepower Optronics spotlight gave up the ghost, I had to get a new spotlight.

I spied the Q-Beam at Wal-Mart and I bought it on the spot. It is a large spotlight with a four-and-three-quarters inch reflector, and with some extra features not available in other spotlights.

For starters, it comes with two removable batteries. One battery could be on the light while the other is charging, a good feature. Unfortunately, in my case, one of the batteries was already dead and is not recharging. I will have to return the unit and get another, hoping for better luck.

However, bad batteries are nothing new in big spotlights. It seems that the Chinese haven’t gotten the hang of making lead acid batteries last any decent amount of time. I know; I have the corpses of seven spotlights to prove it (some day I will get around to rounding them up and take a picture of them).



I can safely say that I have tried all of them, and I can tell you that a quality spotlight is not available in the USA, unless you buy one of the Australian’s Night Force spotlights. Australians, with their liberal night hunting laws, know a thing or two more about night hunting and lights that the average American hunter does.



For law enforcement the panorama is different. With the advent of the Borealis 1050 lumens flashlight (12 ½” long, 28 oz) a spotlight in the cruiser is no longer needed.

After all, spotlight use for law enforcement is confined to operation from the car, which is why you don’t see a trooper conducting a traffic stop with spotlight in hand or chasing down a suspect with one in tow.



Coming back to the Q-Beam Max Million II, it also has another feature that was not available before in any other spotlight; a double trigger that when touched high, can activate mechanically a spring that will push the smaller part of the two-part reflector/ bulb holder, forward. This causes the focus to change to a wider flood; interesting concept, but perhaps of dubious utility. I have seen it employed in flashlights before, but by the use of two filaments positioned in the bulb envelope at different heights.



Here is a picture of the Q-Beam together with the Borealis







Unfortunately the Achilles’ heel of any spotlight is the quality of its batteries. In the normal use that I give them, they never last more than 6 to 8 months, which is why I am not looking to pay more than half a century note for one, with is just what the new Q-Beam cost me at Wal-Mart.



How does it compare with the Borealis 1050 lumens (two million candlepower)?

To answer that question, I move them to the backyard of my local church, where I have a solid wall of trees and a range of 35 yards (I try to avoid solid light-painted walls that produce too much reflection and confuse the camera).



Q-Beam Max II Spotlight







Borealis 1050 lumens flashlight









Black Bear 720 lumens flashlight











The new Spotlight did well in comparison, but it is more inside the range of the Black Bear 720 lumens (10 “ long 23 oz) than of the more powerful Borealis. Here are the pictures for you to judge; of course the Borealis and the BB 720 are better law enforcement tools as the side spill is bigger and the intensity and the color are brighter. Of course, you need side spill to avoid panning a tight focus’ light and losing precious seconds when clearing a room or warehouse.

For those that use the Q-Beam for varmint shooting (with a partner to hold the light of course) the light will do okay up to 300 yards.

For that use you can take advantage of the red filter (at shorter distance) and the other two filters, ( blue and amber), are completely useless for varmint shooting and for any other use I can imagine, as I can not see a blood tracker using such a big spotlight with the blue filter on it.



Respectfully,

Black Bear

[black bear 84]

THE UTG BARREL MOUNT

Hi guys,
For those wanting a barrel mount for a flashlight or laser, I have had good
results with the UTG barrel mount.
Initially purchased for an AK rifle, I found out that it can be mounted in
other rifle barrels, for example, it fits perfectly in a .22 rifle and also in
a Mini 14 I have.

It is a tri-rail mount with three Picattiny rails that will also accept Weaver
style rings. My model is the #2 mount which have two slots; the UTG is also
available with five slots that will accommodate the red dots scopes that are
in the market.

Picture of the UTG # 2




]

Another view








The UTG fully loaded with two TACM III tactical lights (one with a red filter)
and a laser.








The UTG is sold by Cheaper than Dirt and I imagine others places that cater to
tactical rifles. Just look in their catalogue in the AK accessories page.

Cheers
Black Bear

[Mongojoe]

Black Bear 84, you do know lights...and I find the information you post interesting...so you were the first one I thought to ask when my wife asked me about a lantern... I know you haven't posted much about lanterns, but still, I rather hoped you may be able to give me an answer............. I am looking for the brightest rechargeable lantern for camping, that a person can get... Not a "flashlight", but a light-up-the-area lantern. In looking around I have found some that will put out up to 3 watts/300 lumens, but these worked off batteries, and were not rechargeable...and besides, I'd think a person could get something that would put out more light than that... I also need it to be rechargeable from an automobile cigarette lighter...and hold the price down to around 50 dollars or less.... Is there something like that out there, or am I asking for too much ? .................. I do appreciate any information you could give me.

[black bear 84]

Mongojoe, on Aug 4 2008, 03:43 PM, said:

Black Bear 84, you do know lights...and I find the information you post interesting...so you were the first one I thought to ask when my wife asked me about a lantern... I know you haven't posted much about lanterns, but still, I rather hoped you may be able to give me an answer............. I am looking for the brightest rechargeable lantern for camping, that a person can get... Not a "flashlight", but a light-up-the-area lantern. In looking around I have found some that will put out up to 3 watts/300 lumens, but these worked off batteries, and were not rechargeable...and besides, I'd think a person could get something that would put out more light than that... I also need it to be rechargeable from an automobile cigarette lighter...and hold the price down to around 50 dollars or less.... Is there something like that out there, or am I asking for too much ? .................. I do appreciate any information you could give me.

Mongojoe,
Thank you for you kind words.

If the lantern is TOO bright the batteries will exaust the charge quickly. To me the best light is from a propane lantern.
However, this seem to be a good lantern and is rechargeable from your vehicle.

http://www.cabelas.c...e...s&noImage=0

Otherwise look at the other lanterns that Cabela's and Bass Pro are selling.

All the best
Black Bear

[Mongojoe]

Hey... Thanks... That one looks like just about what we are looking for, for camping and night fishing... As soon as the wife gets in here I'll show it to her... I appreciate your help.

[Mongojoe]

Placed an order for that lantern last night... Thanks again.

[black bear 84]

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.jamesmaur...-flashlight.asp

CHEERS

[black bear 84]

REMOTE SWITCHES

WITH PRESSURE PAD

Hi guys,

I have been using remote switches in my tactical lights that are mounted in rifles, shotguns, and bows, for quite a few years now.

The most effective of them are the ones with a direct connection to the solder pad that touch the battery (no spring), like the ones in the TACM III tactical lights.

The reason that they are more effective is that they don’t rob the system of any voltage (in the way of internal resistance) as do the ones with heavy springs.



Internal resistance is the name of the game, some of them, for example the TAC STAR pressure switch, can really make a bright lamp like the P-60, looks dim and murky, due to too much internal resistance in the design of the tail cap.



THE TAC STAR REMOTE SWITCH







A good one that I have used for years in mounting lights on my friends’ bows and rifles, is the G&P tail cap with remote. Its design is quite good and the internal resistance is low, but it is not designed for pump shotguns as the cord is just straight and not curly.



THE G&P REMOTE SWITCH







A very good one that I discovered recently is the Aimshot curly cord remote, the spring is copper and quite light and it seems to have very low internal resistance.

I discovered the Aimshot in Cheaper Than Dirt catalogue and at a very good price ($14.97) and it has become my favorite.

I just used one in a Pelican M-6 tactical light and mounted it using a UTG Tri rail mount in an AK rifle, it does the job well.



THE AIMSHOT REMOTE SWITCH







Cheers

Black Bear

[fatty chatty]

As Buck said, I have no idea whats going on except you know alot about lites, now you got any good yote lites??

[black bear 84]

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







[font="Calibri"]SUREFIRE G-2 GREEN, DEAL XTREME LAMP CREE Q-5 200 LUMENS[/font]

[font="Calibri"] [/font]

[font="Calibri"][/font]

[font="Calibri"] [/font]

[font="Calibri"]SUREFIRE CENTURION 2, CREE R-2 290 LUMENS (CLAIMED)[/font]

[font="Calibri"] [/font]

[font="Calibri"][/font]

[font="Calibri"] [/font]

[font="Calibri"]FENIX T-1 CREE Q-5 225 LUMENS[/font]

[font="Calibri"] [/font]

[font="Calibri"][/font]

[font="Calibri"] [/font]

[font="Calibri"] [/font]

[font="Calibri"] [/font]

[font="Calibri"]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.[/font]

[font="Calibri"] [/font]

[font="Calibri"]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.[/font]

[font="Calibri"]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.[/font]

[font="Calibri"] [/font]

[font="Calibri"]Besides, the Fenix has a second setting that will run the light at 60 lumens for 10 hours.[/font]

[font="Calibri"]So, if you already have a Surefire you want to upgrade, the aftermarkets lamps are great.[/font]

[font="Calibri"]If you need a new light look at the Fenix line.[/font]

[font="Calibri"] [/font]

[font="Calibri"]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.[/font]

[font="Calibri"] [/font]

[font="Calibri"]Cheers[/font]

[font="Calibri"] Black Bear[/font]

[font="Calibri"] [/font]

[font="Calibri"] [/font]

[font="Calibri"] [/font]

[font="Calibri"] [/font]

[black bear 84]

TERRALUX LIGHTSTAR 220

FLASHLIGHT

For the last two months, I have been using one of the Terralux Lightstar 220 lumens flashlights, which runs on two AA batteries.

This light has two settings on the click-tail cap; the first setting clicks on the light and emits 220 lumens for 1.5 hours.

The second setting of 100 lumens for 6 hours is accessed by softly pressing the rubber button switch.



The LED is a Cree RXE Q-4 and is controlled by a microprocessor for a constant light output. When battery juice is running low, the LED will flicker to let you know that is time for new batteries.

The unit comes with two Energizer AA batteries, a lanyard and a soft nylon holster. At an even six inches long, the light is quite portable and also features a clip to attach it to your belt or waistband.









It is very similar to the popular 3 watt 80 lumens Ray-O-Vac Sportsman Xtreme (but is slightly longer as the click tail cap needs more room for the mechanism), and the head is smaller with a small orange peel reflector.



Due to the small reflector the beam throws quite a flood despite the 220 lumens figure. Small reflectors don’t really have much throw no matter how many lumens you make the light puts out. However, it is quite adequate for most chores inside a house and practical, too, for walking the dog or a walk in the woods.



LIGHTSTAR AT 20 YARDS WITH THE 220 LUMENS









LIGHTSTAR WITH THE 100 LUMENS SETTING













The really nice thing about these lights are that they are very inexpensive to feed as they use common AA batteries. As I use rechargeable AA batteries in all my lights, it is even more inexpensive to use.

The dark green anodized body is quite resistant to scratches as the light is still like new even after a couple months of sharing my pocket with keys and coins.



Cost of the light varies depending where you buy it, but it is around $35 to $40 USD; your best bet is to Google it to see who has a special on it.

I like this light to the point of recommending it to anybody that is looking for a light with these characteristics. The light is as good as the Ray-O-Vac Sportsman with the added power of the 220 lumen setting.

Cheers.

Black Bear

[black bear 84]

WHEN A LUMEN IS NOT A LUMEN

A lumen is not a lumen when somebody intends to throw a big bunch of them out of a small reflector the size of a dime or nickel. At least it seems to be that way.

It used to be easy to tell the power of a light by the lumens figure, not anymore. You could be an experience user of lights, say a policeman that had used for years a 200 lumens Magchager and is well acquainted with its capabilities. Now he reads about this small light the size of a thumb that also outputs 200 lumens and is all excited to get the new marvel.

He does and is promptly disappointed because the small light seems to throw a good amount of light, but all close by, and is nothing that can compare with his duty Magcharger that can illuminate objects at 100 yards.



Besides emitters in the 200 lumens bracket can kill themselves with the heat that they produce when they are used in small lights with poor heat sinking. It is mostly a novelty thing and it should be used with caution. Some of them come in lights with multiple settings, and that is fine when the literature advice you to use the 200 lumens sparingly, and you follow that advice.



To illustrate the point, here are a couple of pictures of beam shots at 20 yards, you can clearly see the superiority of the Bear Cub (reflector size 2”) over the Lightstar 220, (reflector the size of a dime) even when both lights are rated at 220 lumens.



LIGHTSTAR 220 LUMENS AT 20 YARDS







BEAR CUB 220 LUMENS AT 20 YARDS









Some manufacturers wishing to quote big numbers are now putting clusters of these small reflectors on duty size flashlights. Mind you these clusters that are from three to four are still all small reflectors with limited throw.

So, somebody putting a cluster of four reflectors in a big head can claim 800 lumens, but you know better now, knowing that those 200 lumens for each reflector are not really behaving like real lumens!



Unfortunately I don’t have one of those lights to prove the point. But I can get my own cluster of lights in the 200 lumens bracket, and demonstrate by picture what can you expect.

I have here two of the Lightstar220 lumens, plus a Fenix P3D of 205 lumens and an Ultra Fire with Rebel emitter of 200 lumens, all of which together in a cluster will throw the figure of 845 lumens.

The opposite number is a Black Bear 720 lumens flashlight, a light that is 10” long and weights 24 oz. and uses a 2” reflector that can throw several hundred of yards with a strong white light.



HERE IS THE PICTURE OF THE CONTENDERS







The distance for both beam shots is in this case 35 yards to the target (The no trespassing sign tacked in the tree). The camera is 20 yards from the target.



CLUSTER OF REFLECTORS 845 LUMENS









BLACK BEAR 720 LUMENS ONE REFLECTOR 2”







Observe how the beam of the 720 lumens light travels beyond the range of the cluster lights, illuminating objects that the cluster lights are not capable of showing.

So, if you are in the market for a new light, this use of small reflectors in clusters to boost lumens figures is something you should be aware off.



Cheers

Black Bear

[Uncle Buck]

When using a shotgun at night time I like to use the cheap $9.99 Energizer 3 LED light. It has two white lights and one red light. There are more expensive ones with the two red LED but someone might think that it's a red fox coming down the trail. I get them near the registrers at Homedepot and or Lowes.


Works great for shotgunning at night time.

http://www.energizer...n-headlamp.aspx


Now here is a man I would like to sit down and talk too: black Bear 84. I know I could learn much from him. I will have to print this post and read it in depth to see what it pertains too. I don't like to use a a light that will make a predator start to blink, If that is the case then it's hurting their eyes. Most times when you hit them with the direct beam it's all over, they are no where to be found....

Maybe when I absorb some of the info on here I need to gie him a call and tell him what we do here in Pa as far as lights go. He just might have some good info for even a seasoned predator hunter to learn from his research.

Blackbear 84 keep up the good work.. now for me to start to read all of this...

[Oldman]

I was wondering what state you live in? Don't get me wrong because I don't see anything wrong with using a light and hunting at night but it is against the law in Va.
I wish there were several laws that were changed and if it is leagal in your state and alls well with it, we may be able to use the fact to help change the laws here.
I am disabled and can't set still long enough hunt any more but the deer come right on up here and help themselves to a free meal whenever they want to and nearly all the time it is after dark, of course. Seems like they know the laws about deer hunting around here as good as the hunters do, LOL.
I have a big 2 million candle power spot light that lights them up and have seen as many as 6 deer out there at once and they just stand there looking at the light.
It's not very sporting to kill a deer that way but I have never looked at deer hunting as a sport to start with. I look at it more like I want the frezzer full of meat instead of air.
Even being disabled, I could get my limit every year if we were alowed to spot light them as they call it here, but no. Can't do that.
They say it's not fair to the deer. Can you tell me what that means? They don't get a chance to run off and die somewhere else if you make a fast off hand shot and don't hit where you meant to.
At least with the light in their face they stand still and you can get the best shot you could ask for.
JMHO
oldman

[black bear 84]

I am from New York and I hunt in any other state that is legal to hunt with lights.
Predators almost anywhere (with light and call). Raccoon in the South with dogs and lights.
Wild pigs in Texas.
There is lots of hunting that can be done at night, legally.

Black Bear