Should have Li-Ion battery, with good life, and be rechargeable. Saw a
nice bike light, but would like this to be hand-held. Would prefer
flood to spot, high lumen.
Recos much appreciated. Thank you!
Frank

On Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:57:02 -0400, frank1492
wrote:

Should have Li-Ion battery, with good life, and be rechargeable. Saw a
nice bike light, but would like this to be hand-held. Would prefer
flood to spot, high lumen.
Recos much appreciated. Thank you!
Frank

I don't know what's best but this one has a hand crank so that you can
charge it or your cell phone by hand.

http://www.mypreciouskid.com/led-flashlight.html

On Oct 14, 10:57*pm, frank1492 wrote:
Should have Li-Ion battery, with good life, and be rechargeable. Saw a
nice bike light, but would like this to be hand-held. Would prefer
flood to spot, high lumen.
* * Recos much appreciated. Thank you!
* * * * * Frank

www.ledlenser.com has a big lineup, HD carries a few of them I just
got one that is 2.2 watts with 3 aaa batteries. Recharagable? get
recharageable batteries but if you dont use it much the batteries will
be dead when you need it and alkaline last a long time in Led lights.
Li ion battieies, will cost more than a flashlight.

frank1492 wrote:
Should have Li-Ion battery, with good life, and be rechargeable. Saw a
nice bike light, but would like this to be hand-held. Would prefer
flood to spot, high lumen.
Recos much appreciated. Thank you!
Frank

I have a 3 watt Cree, believe it is called, from Lowes, although not
sure it is still there. Uses 2 C batteries but I guess you could use
rechargables. Cost $30. Rated output is something like 170 lumens.
All the multi led's I've seen are OK for close use but are anemic on
light output.

On Oct 15, 6:01*am, Frank wrote:
frank1492 wrote:
Should have Li-Ion battery, with good life, and be rechargeable. Saw a
nice bike light, but would like this to be hand-held. Would prefer
flood to spot, high lumen.
* * Recos much appreciated. Thank you!
* * * * * Frank

I have a 3 watt Cree, believe it is called, from Lowes, although not
sure it is still there. Uses 2 C batteries but I guess you could use
rechargables. *Cost $30. Rated output is something like 170 lumens.
All the multi led's I've seen are OK for close use but are anemic on
light output.

Cree is the name of the led bulb, they are bright, Ledlenser has one
with 7 Cree leds, it sells for something like 400$

ransley wrote:
On Oct 15, 6:01 am, Frank wrote:
frank1492 wrote:
Should have Li-Ion battery, with good life, and be rechargeable. Saw a
nice bike light, but would like this to be hand-held. Would prefer
flood to spot, high lumen.
Recos much appreciated. Thank you!
Frank
I have a 3 watt Cree, believe it is called, from Lowes, although not
sure it is still there. Uses 2 C batteries but I guess you could use
rechargables. Cost $30. Rated output is something like 170 lumens.
All the multi led's I've seen are OK for close use but are anemic on
light output.

Cree is the name of the led bulb, they are bright, Ledlenser has one
with 7 Cree leds, it sells for something like 400$

Yes, I would look for the led and look for watt, candlepower or lumen
output. I bought a 12 led lantern for my wife's use during power
failures and it does not even give off enough light to read by. She
bought me one with 20 leds focused in one direction and you can read by
it. I have several other led lights and, as I said, they are adequate
for close work. What I really like about led's is that they get much
more effective power out of a battery.

My main use is hunting and just this week I was out at 5am in an area I
was somewhat familiar with but needed a light to find the public stand
and the Lowes light was great illuminating trail markers 200 yards away.

frank1492 wrote:
Should have Li-Ion battery, with good life, and be rechargeable. Saw a
nice bike light, but would like this to be hand-held. Would prefer
flood to spot, high lumen.
Recos much appreciated. Thank you!
Frank

My do all light is a single cell with a CREE lamp. I wanted a small form
factor. I have a belt holster for it and also a velcro mount for the
bike. It gets used a lot and has excellent battery life because it has
variable intensity. The pattern is also really good for biking. The
lowest intensity is brighter than the full output of a big box quality
light.

http://www.fenixlight.com/flashlight/fenixp2d.htm

On Oct 15, 6:54*am, George wrote:
frank1492 wrote:
Should have Li-Ion battery, with good life, and be rechargeable. Saw a
nice bike light, but would like this to be hand-held. Would prefer
flood to spot, high lumen.
* * Recos much appreciated. Thank you!
* * * * * Frank

My do all light is a single cell with a CREE lamp. I wanted a small form
factor. I have a belt holster for it and also a velcro mount for the
bike. It gets used a lot and has excellent battery life because it has
variable intensity. The pattern is also really good for biking. The
lowest intensity is brighter than the full output of a big box quality
light.

http://www.fenixlight.com/flashlight/fenixp2d.htm

I like the variable output offered, but on output you are wrong, you
can easily find 100 lumen-3watt Cree Led lights at box stores, sure
they cost maybe 30$, but output more than Fenix.

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...ATT&lpage=none

This is my light although they say only brightness of 100 but don't give
units. Whatever, this is the brightest light that I have including
other leds and incandescents.

On Oct 14, 11:57*pm, frank1492 wrote:
Should have Li-Ion battery, with good life, and be rechargeable. Saw a
nice bike light, but would like this to be hand-held. Would prefer
flood to spot, high lumen.
* * Recos much appreciated. Thank you!
* * * * * Frank

Rather than sticking exactly to your specs, I'll tell you what I have
- Lowe's sells a 3W LED "Task Force" flashlight that is excellent.
Much brighter than my slightly older LED Mag-Lite and much smaller and
lighter. Takes two C-cells. I actually use one as a secondary
bicycle headlight, I use rechargeable NiMH C-cells with it and it'll
last at least 6 hours or so on a charge (longest I've let it go, it
was still bright) it's strapped to the handlebars of my touring bike
with a Twofish mounting block. I also got a collimator from
DealExtreme that changes the beam pattern from a spot pattern to a
horizontal line - neither is optimal but the horizontal pattern keeps
me from blinding traffic. It's actually noticeably brighter than my
Lumotec halogen headlight that is driven from a dynohub, but I'm
saving up for a B&M IQ Cyo to replace the Lumotec. Anyway, the
Lumotec and the Task Force together provide enough light for me to
ride on even completely unlit roads well after dark. I'm not a racer
type but I don't ride slowly either.

I like the Task Force so much I bought another one that I keep next to
the front door (still with the included alkaline batteries in it) so
if I come home and the power is out I just use that to see. No need
for candles except in the case of a very extended power failure. It
cost about $30 apiece when I bought mine last year.

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...FT-NS-2C+3WATT

nate

I can think of several different reasons for having a light.
If you search the archives of alt.survival you will find
that I've posted a bit too much, on the subject.

We're just guessing, at this point. We don't know what your
intended purpose is. Do you want a pocket size light? Belt
sheath light? Tool box light for big light needs? Task
light, or area light? Close up, or seeing at a distance? Do
you want to light up an entire room? Blind attackers? See a
racoon in a tree at night? Read books? Light to walk around
a room?

Each of these tasks will take a different light.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"frank1492" wrote in message
...
Should have Li-Ion battery, with good life, and be
rechargeable. Saw a
nice bike light, but would like this to be hand-held. Would
prefer
flood to spot, high lumen.
Recos much appreciated. Thank you!
Frank

General Purpose Survival Flashlight

Let there be light. In cities and towns, we're
bathed in light all day. Street lights at night,
and all the electrical devices in the house. We
take light for granted these days. But in the
woods on a dark night, during a power outage,
or--most importantly--in a long-term survival
situation, you'll quickly learn just how
important light is, and how important it is to
be prepared.

Here are my opinions about what makes for a good
survival light.

First, there is no "one light" that will do every
thing. Any more than "one gun" or "one knife".
You wil need several.

1. Small and lightweight is better. Except when
you need bigger. Indecisive? Naah, just that there
are different needs.

A smaller flash light is the one you have with you
at all times. A squeeze light on your key ring is
there when you need it, or a light to put in your
pocket. I carry a 2AA mini mag with LED conversion.
It is a compromise between size, convenience, and
light output. But, it's with me all day.

Some are bigger due to marketing, or poor design.
Many rubber flash lights run on two AA cells,
are twice the bulk of a Mini Mag, and don't work as
well as the Mini Mag. Bigger flashlights are heavier.
They may or may not have longer runtime.



2. Uses a common battery size
Currently, the most common flashlight battery sizes
are AAA, AA, C, and D cells. A few lights use 9-volt
batteries or lithium photo batteries.

That leaves AA- or AAA-cell lights are the most
convenient for pocket carry. C and D cells for in
the truck. For occasional use when more light
power is needed.

Using a common battery size is important for price,
and for getting more batteries if you need them.
Depending on the scenario, the easiest battery to find
at stores is C. You may be able to buy or barter
for AA, AAA or D cells. I just don't know about the
lithium photo batteries. They may be in stores after
a crisis, or may not.


3. Uses a variety of battery types
It's important that survival flashlights be able to
function whether using carbon, alkaline, or
rechargeable batteries. Since you may run out, and need
to use whatever you can find. In a long-term survival
situation, rechargables and a solar charger may work long
after there are no primary cells left. Most lights will
function using all three types, though some manufacturers
don't approve lithium primaries. Find out exactly what
batteries your survival light can tolerate before you
purchase it, or test the batteries in your light before
you have to rely on them.

4. Fewer batteries is better
Obviously, the fewer the batteries needed to operate
the light . . . the fewer batteries you'll need to
operate the light. This is a good thing in a survival
situation, even better for long-term survival. As a
rule, a survival light should use no more than two
batteries, preferably just one. Currently, there are
many one-cell AA lights on the market that not only
produce a lot of light (for their size), but also
enjoy excellent run times. Twenty-plus hours of usable
light is not uncommon, and even longer run times can
be found. There are also a few 1xAAA lights available
that might make adequate primary or excellent
back-up survival lights.


5. Simple to operate
There are lots of fancy lights out there that sport
multiple output levels, including SOS and strobe modes.
Some are even computer-programmable. When it comes to
survival lights, simple is usually better. A light with
just one medium-intensity level will usually suffice,
or perhaps a two-level light with low and high output
levels. Just so that it's simple and intuitive to operate.


6. Reliable operation mechanism
" Twisty" or "clickie," that is the question. Which
is more reliable? There is no definitive answer,
reliability depends more on the quality of the light
than on the particular mode of operation. And even a
good company can turn out the occasional bad light.
Most clickies have the on-off mechanism on the rear
of the light, while some have it on the side (e.g.,
Maglite). Most twisties are operated by turning the
bezel (head) or tail cap. And there are also hybrid
models utilizing both twisty and clickie operations.
If at all possible, obtain spare mechanisms.


7. Well constructed
Look for lights where the bulb is reasonably protected,
that are shock resistant and water resistant/proof, and
that won't accidentally turn on while in your pocket or
backpack. Clickies are most prone to accidental
activation. This can usually be prevented by rotating
the tail cap counterclockwise while the light is on
until the power cuts out, then clicking the clickie
button off.


8. LED versus incandescent
No contest here. A flashlight that uses an incandescent
bulb is simply not a primary survival light. Period. If
the bulb itself can burn out or malfunction due to shock
(broken filament), then you don't want to trust your
life to its operation. While light emitting diode (LED)
"bulbs" technically don't last forever, a 5,000-
to 10,000-hour use life is close enough to "forever"
for survival purposes. LED bulbs are a heck of a lot
tougher than other bulb types. Over the last few years
LED technology has improved exponentially, to the point
where they now can out-perform most other lights. The
newest and brightest LEDs will do what you need. The
LEDs put out blue light Many people find this blue
objectionable. Some folks are willing to put up with the
bluish tint due to its superb runtime (80+ hours of usable
light on just 1 AA battery). Not to worry. The newer
LEDs have a crisp white white light. Luxeon is like this.


9. Good compromise between output and run time
Run time is arguably the most important criterion, and
it's what separates true survival lights. The longer
the run time, the better. Super-bright "tactical"
lights are great for impressing your friends, but
will usually suck batteries dry much more quickly.
Also, the darker your environment, the less light
you need to see well enough. Brighter lights can
actually be a disadvantage, because they more readily
attract unwanted attention, and can also impair your
night vision. Again, we're talking about survival lights
here, not tactical (super bright) lights.

It's OK to also take along a super-bright light for
"tactical" use (e.g., disorienting or disrupting the
night vision of a potential threat), in most cases
these lights will not be used very often.


11. Quality of light beam
What this refers to is the illumination pattern,
or beam characteristic, of the light. For survival
lights, you really need both. A wide beam provides
light to a wider area, gives a broader picture and
better edge vision. Tight beams will light specific
objects, and will have longer "throw," but will
also tend to draw your line of sight inward, so
that you focus more on what's illuminated in the
spot. Tight, bright beams are also more detrimental
to night vision than wider, dimmer spill beams. But,
sometimes you need to see what is that noise, out
there. A few lights seek a compromise, claiming to
offer both a bright center beam as well as decent
spill.
If you happen to choose to also carry a more powerful
"tactical" light, you'll probably prefer that it
have a bright, fairly narrow beam. But for a general
purpose survival light, you want a wider, more
diffuse beam, allowing you take in more visual
information at one time.


12. Lanyard hole
The lanyard hole is just that--a hole through which
you can attach a lanyard. The lanyard can then be
tied around your wrist, for example, or through a
belt loop to prevent the loss of your light. Always
use a lanyard and secure it to your person, your
clothing, or your gear, especially when not in use.
Your survival light is an essential, life-saving,
possibly irreplaceable tool, but it will do you no
good if you lose it.

13. Pocket clip
Most smaller lights these days come with pocket clips.
They are usually detachable. They are useful to clip
the light to a pocket, or hat brim while performing
tasks that require both hands. Pocket clips are nice
to have. If your light doesn't come with one, it would
be worthwhile to find a clip from some other source
(such as another light of the same diameter).

14. Can stand on its tail
Lights that can do so add a nice feature. They are
especially useful when you desire area light, such
as when reading or dressing in your tent. Of course,
you can always prop your light up or clip it to some
thing to get the same effect, but it's not quite as
handy.

15. Caring for your light
Other than lubing the bezel and/or tail cap threads
with an appropriate wet or dry lubricant. Avoiding
cross-threading. Put the batteries in, pointing the
correct way. Keep it dry, don't drop it, etc. I'd
suggest keeping your survival light empty of batteries
until needed. Otherwise, keep lithiums in there. Alkalines
can leak and ruin your light.

Q: What about headlamps? Can these be used as survival
lights?
A: Very handy items to have. The light shines right where
you look.
Including smack dab into the face of the person you're
looking at.
Maybe it's just me, but I don't much care for light in my
eyes when
I'm trying to preserve my night vision. They might also make
a handy
head-shot target for hostiles. Let's put it this way. While
most small
flashlights can usually be rigged to serve as makeshift
headlamps
(with the aid of a pocket clip or headband, for example),
most
headlamps cannot readily be used in the same manner as one
might use a
flashlight. Headlamps could possibly serve as back-up
survival lights
(if they use only one or two batteries), but I would not
recommend
them as primary survival lights. A flashlight will, in most
instances,
prove more versatile.
Resources

1. The best flashlight resource on the Web is Candle Power
Forums
.. Lots of traffic and more info about flashlights than most
people
would ever need to know. Also a good source for obtaining
custom lights.
2. One of the better flashlight review sites is
FlashlightReviews.com.
It's no longer updated regularly, but many of the lights
still being
sold are reviewed at the site.

if you decide to transition to LEDs, save
those original incandescent light bulb components. You never
know when
someday you may need a lot of light--for example for
impromptu surgery
out in the field.

The other exception is truly SHTF tactical use.
While I do not advocate using a visible light flashlight or
rail-mounted weapon light where you are up against and armed
opponent.
(Since they provide your opponent with a convenient point of
aim.)
They are fine for shooting marauding bears.

I also keep a
50 piece box of the standard Panasonic brand CR-123 lithium
batteries
in my refrigerator, as a "tactical reserve." These have a
10+ year
shelf life.

Regarding lanyards, I recommend using a long, stout lanyard
that is a
full loop, preferably with a ball-shaped spring button
slider. I
mainly use olive drab paracord. The longer the better, for
the sake of
versatility. If the lanyard is too short, then there is not
enough
slack to loop the flashlight through (in a Girth
Hitch--a.k.a. Lanyard
Knot) to be able to hang a light from a branch, belt loop,
tent
d-ring, or other object.

Subject: Flashlights for every purpose
Date: Monday, October 20, 2008 9:05 PM

Please be sure to add any I missed.

Photon squeeze light. Carry on keyring for
occasional light needs. Like when you drop
your mini mag outdoors at night.

Mag or Garrity 3 or 4 D cell light. Slice the
night. Read house numbers. Beat off muggers
and burglars. See what is that noise in your
chicken coop.

Tactical Xenon light. Expensive light with
expensive bulbs and expensive batteries. But
it does a terrific job of lighting house
numbers for night service calls. Also good
for spotting racoon in trees. Actually small
enough to put in pocket.

Closet light. Runs on D cells, some run on AA
cells. Can be fluorescent, filament bulb, or
LED. Stationary applications, for short term
light. Many closet lights are bright enough
to light up an entire room enough to walk
around.

Camping lantern. I have one which is fluorescent
and runs on D cells. But doesn't work when it
is cold. LED, or filament bulbs work when cold.

Dorcy single AAA LED light. Fits nicely in the
coat pocket, and provides light when everything
else is broken.

Spotlight that plugs into the lighter socket.
Light up the entire side of the house. Make
burglars go into V-fib. Spook the horses. Signal
alien space ships, and confuse airplane pilots.
A bit too bright, some of them. And plenty fun
to play with.

Mini Mag light. My daily work horse. Use it
several times a day, every day. Nite Ize and
Terralux conversions are an excellent idea.

Headlamp. Used when working, so as to keep both
hands free.

I'm Christopher Young
and I approved this message.
..
..

Several Survival Flashlight

Let there be light. In cities and towns, we're
bathed in light all day. Street lights at night,
and all the electrical devices in the house. We
take light for granted these days. But in the
woods on a dark night, during a power outage,
or--most importantly--in a long-term survival
situation, you'll quickly learn just how
important light is, and how important it is to
be prepared.

Here are my opinions about what makes for a good
survival light.

First, there is no "one light" that will do every
thing. Any more than "one gun" or "one knife".
You wil need several.

I propose that the following list of lights will do most of
the jobs a survivalist needs.

1. Pocket light.

A smaller flash light is the one you have with you
at all times. A squeeze light on your key ring is
there when you need it, or a light to put in your
pocket. I carry a 2AA mini mag with LED conversion.
It is a compromise between size, convenience, and
light output. But, it's with me all day.

Some are bigger due to marketing, or poor design.
Many rubber flash lights run on two AA cells,
are twice the bulk of a Mini Mag, and don't work as
well as the Mini Mag. Bigger flashlights are heavier.
They may or may not have longer runtime.



2. Distance light.

When you're trying to figure out what is that noise on the
far side of the field, you need a bright light that shines
at a distance. I've found few lights that are better than a
4D cell Mag light with a Krypton bulb. Until they came out
with the Mag light with the LED bulb, that is. The Garrity
LED bulb is no where near as bright as the LED original
equipment bulb.

3. Area light

When you'r eating dinner, or walking down a trail, or
walking around the living room. It's not convenient to hold
a flashlight in one hand (or between your ear and your
shoulder) while you use two hands to cut and eat your food.
At t his moment, an area light is what's needed. I like the
fluorescent camping lanterns from Walmart, that run on 4 D
cells. These lights don't work well in cold weather, which
is when the Jeep lights come in handy. 20 LED bulbs, and
runs on 3D cells. Not as bright as the fluorescent lantern,
but it does work when it's cold.




Uses a common battery size
Currently, the most common flashlight battery sizes
are AAA, AA, C, and D cells. A few lights use 9-volt
batteries or lithium photo batteries.

That leaves AA- or AAA-cell lights are the most
convenient for pocket carry. C and D cells for in
the truck. For occasional use when more light
power is needed.

Using a common battery size is important for price,
and for getting more batteries if you need them.
Depending on the scenario, the easiest battery to find
at stores is C. You may be able to buy or barter
for AA, AAA or D cells. I just don't know about the
lithium photo batteries. They may be in stores after
a crisis, or may not.


7. Well constructed
Look for lights where the bulb is reasonably protected,
that are shock resistant and water resistant/proof, and
that won't accidentally turn on while in your pocket or
backpack. Clickies are most prone to accidental
activation. This can usually be prevented by rotating
the tail cap counterclockwise while the light is on
until the power cuts out, then clicking the clickie
button off.


8. LED versus incandescent
No contest here. A flashlight that uses an incandescent
bulb is simply not a primary survival light. Period. If
the bulb itself can burn out or malfunction due to shock
(broken filament), then you don't want to trust your
life to its operation. While light emitting diode (LED)
"bulbs" technically don't last forever, a 5,000-
to 10,000-hour use life is close enough to "forever"
for survival purposes. LED bulbs are a heck of a lot
tougher than other bulb types. Over the last few years
LED technology has improved exponentially, to the point
where they now can out-perform most other lights. The
newest and brightest LEDs will do what you need. The
LEDs put out blue light Many people find this blue
objectionable. Some folks are willing to put up with the
bluish tint due to its superb runtime (80+ hours of usable
light on just 1 AA battery). Not to worry. The newer
LEDs have a crisp white white light. Luxeon is like this.


9. Good compromise between output and run time
Run time is arguably the most important criterion, and
it's what separates true survival lights. The longer
the run time, the better. Super-bright "tactical"
lights are great for impressing your friends, but
will usually suck batteries dry much more quickly.
Also, the darker your environment, the less light
you need to see well enough. Brighter lights can
actually be a disadvantage, because they more readily
attract unwanted attention, and can also impair your
night vision. Again, we're talking about survival lights
here, not tactical (super bright) lights.

It's OK to also take along a super-bright light for
"tactical" use (e.g., disorienting or disrupting the
night vision of a potential threat), in most cases
these lights will not be used very often.



Q: What about headlamps? Can these be used as survival
lights?
A: Very handy items to have. The light shines right where
you look.
Including smack dab into the face of the person you're
looking at.
Maybe it's just me, but I don't much care for light in my
eyes when
I'm trying to preserve my night vision. They might also make
a handy
head-shot target for hostiles. Let's put it this way. While
most small
flashlights can usually be rigged to serve as makeshift
headlamps
(with the aid of a pocket clip or headband, for example),
most
headlamps cannot readily be used in the same manner as one
might use a
flashlight. Headlamps could possibly serve as back-up
survival lights
(if they use only one or two batteries), but I would not
recommend
them as primary survival lights. A flashlight will, in most
instances,
prove more versatile.
Resources

The crank up lights with the silver "tornado funnel" in the
middle, I find them to be useless. The crank is noisy, and
the light spreads on a single plane, hardly lights the room.

Kmart has a "Jeep light" with 10 or 20 LED, and three D
cells in the base. Looks like a creature from STar Wars.
I've got a couple of these, and really like them. Long run
tme on D cells. and you can point it to the ceiling, to
light the entire room. These work nicely when it's bitter
cold.

For area light, my favorite is the Ozark Trail fluorescent
camping lantern from Walmart. Ten bucks, and takes four D
cells. Hang from the ceiling, and light the entire room.
Walmart also has fluorescent "closet lights" in the hardware
section which are very good. Fluorescents do not work when
it's cold.

The round "tap lights" are OK for finding the bathroom at
night, but not much more than that. They have either LED or
filament bulb types.

Pocket carry. For me, the minimag with LED conversion is
good. Nite Ize makes a convesion for $4.97 at Walmart. I
went with the Teralux for $25 and very pleased with it.

Harbor Feight has a 15 LED light that takes three D cells.
Very blue light, and very short range. It has its uses,
indoors, but I'e never bring it camping.

Mag makes a LED 2D through 4D light with the mag brand LED
bulb. I got a couple 3D, when Lowes had them on sale. They
are super bright, and the batteries last a long time.
Brighter than my Garrity light that had 3D cells. I even
swapped out the batteries on the Garrity, I thought the
batteries were low, the Garrity was so dim compared to the
Mag LED.

Garrity LED bulb from Walmart, replaces 2D through 6D bulbs.
Blue light, dim, not worth the cost of the bulb. Turns a
good flash light into a nightlight.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"Frank" wrote in message
...

Yes, I would look for the led and look for watt, candlepower
or lumen
output. I bought a 12 led lantern for my wife's use during
power
failures and it does not even give off enough light to read
by. She
bought me one with 20 leds focused in one direction and you
can read by
it. I have several other led lights and, as I said, they
are adequate
for close work. What I really like about led's is that they
get much
more effective power out of a battery.

My main use is hunting and just this week I was out at 5am
in an area I
was somewhat familiar with but needed a light to find the
public stand
and the Lowes light was great illuminating trail markers 200
yards away.

For thirty bucks, that's a bit pricey. But, I guess the LED
Mag lights are up around thirty bucks.

It sounds like a good combination of factors. Small enough
for short term pocket carry, if needed. Belt sheath
provided. Bright enough to be useful.

C cells are likely to be at the stores long after the other
sizes sell out.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"Frank" wrote in message
...
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...ATT&lpage=none

This is my light although they say only brightness of 100
but don't give
units. Whatever, this is the brightest light that I have
including
other leds and incandescents.

I may be looking for something more than many of you think. (Thanks so
much for your ideas.)
To clarify, this is the light that caught my attention:
http://www.rei.com/product/793941
Not really looking to spend quite that much, but this is in the
league, power-wise. I thought it would be good to use in an emergency
on my boat if I got caught in darkness. (Rare but could happen.)
Frank






On Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:57:02 -0400, frank1492
wrote:

Should have Li-Ion battery, with good life, and be rechargeable. Saw a
nice bike light, but would like this to be hand-held. Would prefer
flood to spot, high lumen.
Recos much appreciated. Thank you!
Frank

On Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:47:04 -0400, Stormin Mormon wrote:
Photon squeeze light. Carry on keyring for
occasional light needs. Like when you drop
your mini mag outdoors at night.

Had something like that with a squeezy thing for the switch - the squeezy
bit wore out very quickly. Not impressed.

Mag or Garrity 3 or 4 D cell light. Slice the night. Read house
numbers. Beat off muggers and burglars. See what is that noise in your
chicken coop.

Similiarly unimpressed with my 3-cell LED Mag; light output is crap. My
2-cell Mag with a conventional bulb is just awesome, though. Only issue I
have is that there's no provision for a strap so it can be hung from
things - I'm tempted to see if I can drill the base and add a small
eye-bolt.

Closet light. Runs on D cells, some run on AA cells. Can be fluorescent,
filament bulb, or LED. Stationary applications, for short term light.
Many closet lights are bright enough to light up an entire room enough
to walk around.

Had some of those, too (3xAA, incandescent). Utter ****. They never made
it as far as the closets, and I don't know what I even did with them now
:-)

Camping lantern. I have one which is fluorescent and runs on D cells.
But doesn't work when it is cold. LED, or filament bulbs work when cold.

I have a big ol' oil lamp for that, and so far have managed not to burn
the tent down

Headlamp. Used when working, so as to keep both hands free.

Talking of which, I had a homebrew lamp made from a car headlight
grafted onto the body of a cordless drill - it gave a huge amount of light
and would run for quite a long time (just less useful for 'distance'
work). I finally killed the battery in it though, so it went the way of
the dodo :-(

cheers

Jules

On Oct 15, 7:28*am, Frank wrote:
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...ductId=225285-....

This is my light although they say only brightness of 100 but don't give
units. *Whatever, this is the brightest light that I have including
other leds and incandescents.

3w is bright for a Led , the 100 would be lumen which is bright for a
focused flashlight beam.

ransley wrote:
On Oct 15, 6:54 am, George wrote:
frank1492 wrote:
Should have Li-Ion battery, with good life, and be rechargeable. Saw a
nice bike light, but would like this to be hand-held. Would prefer
flood to spot, high lumen.
Recos much appreciated. Thank you!
Frank
My do all light is a single cell with a CREE lamp. I wanted a small form
factor. I have a belt holster for it and also a velcro mount for the
bike. It gets used a lot and has excellent battery life because it has
variable intensity. The pattern is also really good for biking. The
lowest intensity is brighter than the full output of a big box quality
light.

http://www.fenixlight.com/flashlight/fenixp2d.htm

I like the variable output offered, but on output you are wrong, you
can easily find 100 lumen-3watt Cree Led lights at box stores, sure
they cost maybe 30$, but output more than Fenix.

The only lights I have ever seen in big box places are total junk.
Usually they seem to offer lights with multiple cheap LEDs etc.

The particular model I have has 175 lumen output on high and 100 lumen
on the third setting from the bottom so maybe you misread the specs.

The variable output is fantastic. You really get a very long battery
life because I find if I need to use it for long periods of time such as
biking I really don't need full intensity.

frank1492 wrote:
Should have Li-Ion battery, with good life, and be rechargeable. Saw a
nice bike light, but would like this to be hand-held. Would prefer
flood to spot, high lumen.
Recos much appreciated. Thank you!
Frank
Hi,
You can use rechargeable batteries on flash lights, real
police or military models are very rugged, water proof and will last
LONG time. Look around on the eBay.

On Oct 15, 9:12*am, frank1492 wrote:
I may be looking for something more than many of you think. (Thanks so
much for your ideas.)
* * To clarify, this is the light that caught my attention:http://www..rei.com/product/793941
* * Not really looking to spend quite that much, but this is in the
league, power-wise. I thought it would be good to use in an emergency
on my boat if I got caught in darkness. (Rare but could happen.)
* * Frank

On Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:57:02 -0400, frank1492
wrote:



Should have Li-Ion battery, with good life, and be rechargeable. Saw a
nice bike light, but would like this to be hand-held. Would prefer
flood to spot, high lumen.
* *Recos much appreciated. Thank you!
* * * * *Frank- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Battery use is quite less with Led, last winter I bought about 10
cheap and one good HD led flashlights, I keep them everywhere but only
have changed batteries in a few of them, For a boat and ocasional use
recharageables go dead in less than 1 year, alkalines can sit for 3-5
years and still work in Led lights, I would only want recharageable
lights if I used them at least weekly, Ive been the recharageable
light rout for 15 years, mine are usualy dead when I need them. Leds
fire on much less current then regular bulbs, even my super bright Led
bike light used daily still has the same batteries I got for it in
maybe June, try a 25$ 3w-100 lumen alkaline powered flashlight, you
will be suprised. Even the cheap .25 w lights are only about 1.25$
each at HD, I have them everywhere even my jackets.

frank1492 wrote:
Should have Li-Ion battery, with good life, and be rechargeable. Saw a
nice bike light, but would like this to be hand-held. Would prefer
flood to spot, high lumen.
Recos much appreciated. Thank you!
Frank

Unsurpassed light/price ratio on this from Harbor Freight

http://crimsondevotchka.files.wordpr...t-bear_big.jpg

For boat use I would look for something waterproof, I doubt either the
Task Force or a bicycle headlight would be suitable. The Task Force
you might be able to make waterproof by greasing all the O-rings but
you'd still have to deal with the switch (in the tail of the light.)

A bicycle headlight is generally water resistant, not fully
waterproof. Many I've seen have weep holes at the bottom when they're
mounted in the intended orientation, so rain wouldn't hurt them but
immersion would probably kill them.

Mag-lites are supposed to be waterproof but I was not impressed with
the light output or beam pattern of my LED mag-lite compared to the
Task Force (I had the Mag first, so I didn't know what I was missing,)
and it was unwieldy and heavy in comparison.

I think I'd be looking for a higher-end Cree 3W or higher LED
flashlight, one of the "tactical" models for ruggedness and
waterproofing.

nate

On Oct 15, 10:12*am, frank1492 wrote:
I may be looking for something more than many of you think. (Thanks so
much for your ideas.)
* * To clarify, this is the light that caught my attention:http://www..rei.com/product/793941
* * Not really looking to spend quite that much, but this is in the
league, power-wise. I thought it would be good to use in an emergency
on my boat if I got caught in darkness. (Rare but could happen.)
* * Frank

On Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:57:02 -0400, frank1492
wrote:



Should have Li-Ion battery, with good life, and be rechargeable. Saw a
nice bike light, but would like this to be hand-held. Would prefer
flood to spot, high lumen.
* *Recos much appreciated. Thank you!
* * * * *Frank- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

There are a zillion different models out there now.

I have an older one that uses D cells with multiple little LEDs,
the advantage is it can run for 100 hours or more. It's not that bright,
tho.

Newer 1-3 watt LEDs are very bright - and compact - but use a lot of power,
will only run a few hours on a couple of AA cells.

Depends what you need it for.

Get a couple, they're mostly pretty cheap.

J.



"frank1492" wrote in message
...
Should have Li-Ion battery, with good life, and be rechargeable. Saw a
nice bike light, but would like this to be hand-held. Would prefer
flood to spot, high lumen.
Recos much appreciated. Thank you!
Frank

ransley wrote:
On Oct 15, 7:28 am, Frank wrote:
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...ductId=225285-...

This is my light although they say only brightness of 100 but don't give
units. Whatever, this is the brightest light that I have including
other leds and incandescents.

3w is bright for a Led , the 100 would be lumen which is bright for a
focused flashlight beam.

Originally it was listed at, I believe 170 lumens, but last time I
looked it was not at their website. Whatever, it is the best and
brightest flashlight I have and when I was looking for something like
it, it was best price.

frank1492 wrote:
I may be looking for something more than many of you think. (Thanks so
much for your ideas.)
To clarify, this is the light that caught my attention:
http://www.rei.com/product/793941
Not really looking to spend quite that much, but this is in the
league, power-wise. I thought it would be good to use in an emergency
on my boat if I got caught in darkness. (Rare but could happen.)
Frank






On Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:57:02 -0400, frank1492
wrote:

Should have Li-Ion battery, with good life, and be rechargeable. Saw a
nice bike light, but would like this to be hand-held. Would prefer
flood to spot, high lumen.
Recos much appreciated. Thank you!
Frank


Might be a great light, but it is built for a bicycle, gives no idea
about light output, and is pricey for your needs.

Photon squeeze light. Carry on keyring for
occasional light needs. Like when you drop
your mini mag outdoors at night.

Had something like that with a squeezy thing for the
switch - the squeezy
bit wore out very quickly. Not impressed.

CY: You can get em on Ebay, in quantity down near about a
buck each, post paid.

Mag or Garrity 3 or 4 D cell light. Slice the night. Read
house
numbers. Beat off muggers and burglars. See what is that
noise in your
chicken coop.

Similiarly unimpressed with my 3-cell LED Mag; light output
is crap.

CY: The base is an electrical connection. Screw the butt cap
off, slightly sand the end of the tube, and where the end of
the tube matches the butt cap. Sometimes they over anodize
the tubes or butt caps.

My
2-cell Mag with a conventional bulb is just awesome, though.
Only issue I
have is that there's no provision for a strap so it can be
hung from
things - I'm tempted to see if I can drill the base and add
a small
eye-bolt.

CY: They do make belt holders. You can get the belt loop,
and drywall screw the belt loop to the wall. The eyebolt
should work fine. Take the spare bulb out, drill, thread,
and put a nut on the inside of the cap. Might not have
enough space for the spare bulb, then.

Closet light. Runs on D cells, some run on AA cells. Can
be fluorescent,
filament bulb, or LED. Stationary applications, for short
term light.
Many closet lights are bright enough to light up an entire
room enough
to walk around.

Had some of those, too (3xAA, incandescent). Utter ****.
They never made
it as far as the closets, and I don't know what I even did
with them now
:-)

CY: I'm with you. Garbage, most of them.

Camping lantern. I have one which is fluorescent and runs
on D cells.
But doesn't work when it is cold. LED, or filament bulbs
work when cold.

I have a big ol' oil lamp for that, and so far have managed
not to burn
the tent down

CY: You da man!

Headlamp. Used when working, so as to keep both hands
free.

Talking of which, I had a homebrew lamp made from a car
headlight
grafted onto the body of a cordless drill - it gave a huge
amount of light
and would run for quite a long time (just less useful for
'distance'
work). I finally killed the battery in it though, so it went
the way of
the dodo :-(

CY: Now, that's frieking brilliant (no joke). Very clever
idea. And the 12 volt battery would be rechargable. I had a
six volt hand held spotlamp, the gel cell battery went dead.
Wired it to alkaline lantern battery, and works fine again.
Carbon lantern battery did not provide enough power.

Frank wrote:

Might be a great light, but it is built for a bicycle, gives no idea
about light output, and is pricey for your needs.

It SAYS, under "Specs"

1 LED
110 Lumens

"frank1492" wrote in message
...
Should have Li-Ion battery, with good life, and be rechargeable. Saw a
nice bike light, but would like this to be hand-held. Would prefer
flood to spot, high lumen.
Recos much appreciated. Thank you!
Frank


Four years ago, I asked this newsgroup for recommendations for a good
flashlight. I can't remember who recommended it, but I bought a Streamlight
twin task, which is Xenon, and LED. The model I got uses 3 AA batteries, but
they have others that are rechargeable. I use this thing every day at work,
five days a week or more, and I don't mean that I carry it, I use the thing,
and it works as well today, as the day I got it, in fact it hasn't even
burned out the xenon bulb yet. If you want top quality, built to take abuse
and keep going, check out Streamlight

HeyBub wrote:
Frank wrote:
Might be a great light, but it is built for a bicycle, gives no idea
about light output, and is pricey for your needs.

It SAYS, under "Specs"

1 LED
110 Lumens



Missed that. I was looking at laundry list on page. All lights should
be required to put lumens on the package. That's how I shop for
incandescents and cfi's.

frank1492 wrote:
Should have Li-Ion battery, with good life, and be rechargeable. Saw a
nice bike light, but would like this to be hand-held. Would prefer
flood to spot, high lumen.
Recos much appreciated. Thank you!
Frank


I like the idea of AA cells. In my experience, AA NiMH will hold a
charge many weeks, and you can carry a charged set in your pocket in
case you get caught short.

My most useful light uses 3 AA NiMH. Unfortunately they are soldered
in. To me, that's a big flaw because I can't change to charged cells
when using it as a lantern in a power failure, and it will be more
trouble to repair if it needs new cells. However, the 14-hour run time
has always been adequate, and the cells work fine after 2 years.

It's a Victor Bright Bar trouble light with 26 LEDs. It cost me about
$25. The first advantage is that it floods an area with an even light
that makes it easy to see what I'm doing. The second advantage is that
it's versatile in the way it can be hung, stood, leaned, or laid to
light a work area. The light is so effective that if I'm working on my
car, I may be able to see better if I wait until dark and depend
entirely on the Bright Bar.

Its yellow handle and 15" height make it easy to spot in a cluttered
room. To carry, it feels about like a conventional light with 2 D
cells. The evenness of the light make it desirable to spot a small item
on the ground or a small animal 50 feet away. I have a sealed-beam
light whose beam is pretty intense even 1000 feet away, but for most
purposes I can see better with the Bright Bar.

I also have an Energizer LED head lamp, which cost about $10. Its
switch sequences through a 70ma spotlight, a 35ma floodlight, and a red
light. The floodlight makes a better work light and for my purposes is
as bright as the spotlight. I would have designed it with the
floodlight only and to use 3 AA cells instead of 3 AAA cells.

It's useful because it requires no hands and fresh cells could be popped
in during a power failure. That reminds me, I should buy more AAA NiMH.
They're pretty cheap these days.

On Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:53:27 -0400, Stormin Mormon wrote:
[squeeze lights]
CY: You can get em on Ebay, in quantity down near about a
buck each, post paid.

Think I got mine free with something, so no big deal, but I wouldn't pay
for one...

Similiarly unimpressed with my 3-cell LED Mag; light output is crap.

CY: The base is an electrical connection. Screw the butt cap off,
slightly sand the end of the tube, and where the end of the tube matches
the butt cap. Sometimes they over anodize the tubes or butt caps.

Hmm, just tried, doesn't seem to be any different - but then it's still
daylight here and the issue only really showed up in pitch black
larger spaces compared to my other Mag.

Seems that the LED is a little module, so I might be able to just drop a
4.5V incandescent in there... (I don't like the blueish colour of the
light anyway, as it seems to make shadows too strong at night)

CY: They do make belt holders. You can get the belt loop, and drywall
screw the belt loop to the wall.

Hmm, I'll take a look (assuming they hold the light with the bright end
pointing downward, which I think would be more useful - hang it from a
nail on the wall etc. while doing stuff)

spare bulb out, drill, thread, and put a nut on the inside of the cap.
Might not have enough space for the spare bulb, then.

If the 3-cell's anything to go by (my 2-cell's up in the 'shop and it's
snowing and I'm lazy then there should be space I think. I imagine
they're the same base design.

I have a big ol' oil lamp for that, and so far have managed not to burn
the tent down

CY: You da man!

Sentimental reasons - it was my grandfathers. Spent ages as a kid
stripping it down, patching the holes in the tank and respraying it. Then
I bust the glass and it took another few years before I stumbled across
another basket-case donor in the same style. The wick came from the strap
from some ancient cloth bag or other :-)

Talking of which, I had a homebrew lamp made from a car headlight
grafted onto the body of a cordless drill

CY: Now, that's frieking brilliant (no joke). Very clever idea. And the
12 volt battery would be rechargable.

Yeah, I decided I loathed cordless power tools, plus I was looking for a
nice little compact motor for some robotics project at the time, so
killing the drill was a no-brainer. I had some spare round headlights
from classic car shenanigans, and it took hardly any time to mate one up
to the body of the drill. I was doing a whole pile of urban exploration
stuff and the like at the time, so it came in handy - amazed I never bust
the glass front on the headlight, though!

Nice thing about it was that it'd gradually dim when the battery was going
flat; I had one of those 10,000 candle-power lamps and that'd go from
bright to dead within only a few seconds - and it's often useful to have a
bit more warning when your main light's about to crap out on you :-)

I had a six volt hand held
spotlamp, the gel cell battery went dead. Wired it to alkaline lantern
battery, and works fine again. Carbon lantern battery did not provide
enough power.

That works :-)

cheers

Jules

Was that the link you planned? Shows a bear cub in a tree,
and a yellow cat on the ground.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"HeyBub" wrote in message
...

Unsurpassed light/price ratio on this from Harbor Freight

http://crimsondevotchka.files.wordpr...t-bear_big.jpg

Similiarly unimpressed with my 3-cell LED Mag; light
output is crap.

CY: The base is an electrical connection. Screw the butt
cap off,
slightly sand the end of the tube, and where the end of
the tube matches
the butt cap. Sometimes they over anodize the tubes or
butt caps.

Hmm, just tried, doesn't seem to be any different - but then
it's still
daylight here and the issue only really showed up in pitch
black
larger spaces compared to my other Mag.

CY: That's odd. I really love my LED 3D mag.

Seems that the LED is a little module, so I might be able to
just drop a
4.5V incandescent in there... (I don't like the blueish
colour of the
light anyway, as it seems to make shadows too strong at
night)

CY: Yes, you should be able to use a three cell filament
bulb. Should work fine. And yes, the filament bulbs are much
more white.

CY: They do make belt holders. You can get the belt loop,
and drywall
screw the belt loop to the wall.

Hmm, I'll take a look (assuming they hold the light with the
bright end
pointing downward, which I think would be more useful - hang
it from a
nail on the wall etc. while doing stuff)

CY: No, the belt holders all do lens up. You're back to the
screw eye idea.

spare bulb out, drill, thread, and put a nut on the inside
of the cap.
Might not have enough space for the spare bulb, then.

If the 3-cell's anything to go by (my 2-cell's up in the
'shop and it's
snowing and I'm lazy then there should be space I think.
I imagine
they're the same base design.

CY: I'm sure they are the same tail caps. Plenty of space.

I have a big ol' oil lamp for that, and so far have
managed not to burn
the tent down

CY: You da man!

Sentimental reasons - it was my grandfathers. Spent ages as
a kid
stripping it down, patching the holes in the tank and
respraying it. Then
I bust the glass and it took another few years before I
stumbled across
another basket-case donor in the same style. The wick came
from the strap
from some ancient cloth bag or other :-)

CY: I also have my father's old oil lamp. Glass base from a
garage sale for 50 cents, and the globe from a hardware
store. I had to replace the wick. Glad you are able to keep
the lamp in the family. Traditions like that are priceless.

Talking of which, I had a homebrew lamp made from a car
headlight
grafted onto the body of a cordless drill

CY: Now, that's frieking brilliant (no joke). Very clever
idea. And the
12 volt battery would be rechargable.

Yeah, I decided I loathed cordless power tools, plus I was
looking for a
nice little compact motor for some robotics project at the
time, so
killing the drill was a no-brainer. I had some spare round
headlights
from classic car shenanigans, and it took hardly any time to
mate one up
to the body of the drill. I was doing a whole pile of urban
exploration
stuff and the like at the time, so it came in handy - amazed
I never bust
the glass front on the headlight, though!

CY: That sounds totally useful. I can imagine using battery
jumper pack and a hand held spot light to do much the same.
But, yours has the home built edge.

Nice thing about it was that it'd gradually dim when the
battery was going
flat; I had one of those 10,000 candle-power lamps and
that'd go from
bright to dead within only a few seconds - and it's often
useful to have a
bit more warning when your main light's about to crap out on
you :-)

CY: Warning is good. I met a power company guy who said he
used to go into sub basements with one lamp, that having a
filament bulb,a nd no spare light in his pocket. I don't
have that kind of courage.

I had a six volt hand held
spotlamp, the gel cell battery went dead. Wired it to
alkaline lantern
battery, and works fine again. Carbon lantern battery did
not provide
enough power.

That works :-)

cheers

CY: Nice to meet a fellow flash light person.

Jules

In , Frank wrote in part:

SNIP previously quoted material

Yes, I would look for the led and look for watt, candlepower or lumen
output.

Watts are a unit of power consumption - and that can be either actual
(either taken from the batteires or delivered to the LED, 2 different
things) or the maximum that the LED is allowed to have dumped into it.
(How much extra by driver circuitry or dropping resistors varies widely.)

Since this means there are already three different things that wattage
can refer to, and efficiency of LEDs varies widely, wattage has only
"fair" correlation to light output.

Candela is the intensity of the beam, and roughly means "beam
candlepower". This refers to intensity of a beam in the distance, and
decreasing area of the beam covered gets this to increase when lumens are
unchaged.

Lumens may be what the LED is rated to produce, and in that case is
often at some specific high amount of current, and also in that case is
usually specified at some non-real-world level of cooling the LED, either
cooling its heatsinkable surface to 25 degrees C (77 degrees F) or
worse-still cooling the "junction" (within the LED's chip) to 25 degrees C
(77 degrees F).


I bought a 12 led lantern for my wife's use during power
failures and it does not even give off enough light to read by. She
bought me one with 20 leds focused in one direction and you can read by
it. I have several other led lights and, as I said, they are adequate
for close work. What I really like about led's is that they get much
more effective power out of a battery.

My main use is hunting and just this week I was out at 5am in an area I
was somewhat familiar with but needed a light to find the public stand
and the Lowes light was great illuminating trail markers 200 yards away.

I do agree that LEDs tend to be better for flashlights than incandescent
lamps. Modern LEDs are finally mostly more efficient than incandescents,
many times by a substantial difference, and - unlike incandescents - they
do not lose energy efficiency much (or at all) when power input is
reduced.

- Don Klipstein )

frank1492 wrote:
Should have Li-Ion battery, with good life, and be rechargeable. Saw a
nice bike light, but would like this to be hand-held. Would prefer
flood to spot, high lumen.
Recos much appreciated. Thank you!
Frank



http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002LURK00

I have the orange version just like it that I keep in my truck all the
time. Bought it at Grainger's last year for about $20.

Bob

The LED I've used have all been short range light. The Mag
original LED bulbs are the one exception.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"Don Klipstein" wrote in message
...

I do agree that LEDs tend to be better for flashlights
than incandescent
lamps. Modern LEDs are finally mostly more efficient than
incandescents,
many times by a substantial difference, and - unlike
incandescents - they
do not lose energy efficiency much (or at all) when power
input is
reduced.

- Don Klipstein )

In article , HeyBub wrote:
Frank wrote:

Might be a great light, but it is built for a bicycle, gives no idea
about light output, and is pricey for your needs.

It SAYS, under "Specs"

1 LED
110 Lumens

My take is that 110 lumens is produced by the LED (maybe
optimistically) if given "full power" according to nominal design of the
system or a "characterizing current" of the LED (or worse still is maximum
available from the LED) when the LED is cooled to having either its
heatsinkable surface or the hottest part of its semiconductor chip at 25
degrees C (77 degrees F).

(Thankfully, the Seoul Semiconductor LED that I consider most likely to
put in a bicycle headlight has its "upper grade" version supposedly
producing minimum of 100 lumens at 350 milliamps IIRC - very good
actually.)

Lumens produced by the LED do not all make it out of the lighting unit.
Reflectors are not perfectively reflective, and absorb some of the light.
Lenses reflect some of the light backwards, and the light reflected
backwards by a lens is usually mostly either absorbed or ending up going
somewhere other than where you want the light.

Maybe this bicycle light, shone upwards at a ceiling painted with
brightest white paint, will illuminate a room as well as a 110 lumen
lightbulb (typical of many 15 watt 120V ones) does. But I would not count
on that, not even from a $129 bicycle headlight - even though it would
kick kiesters and tookuses as far as bicicle headlights go if 75 lumens
usually came out from it.

- Don Klipstein )

One major good resource for LED flashlights, along with some
non-flashlight LED products, a few non-LED flashlights and lighting
products and a few laser products, is:

http://ledmuseum.home.att.net/ledleft.htm

Please allow yourself time for that one!

The author there is a major contributor to candlepowerforums.com,
another useful resource although that one is a discussion board.

- Don Klipstein )