Flashlight suggestion

[squall line]

I've been looking for a nice compact flashlight for my flight kit. I'm looking one approx equal tor a 2) D-cell LED. I've seen the surefire brand, but they are a bit spendy. Any others out there that you might suggest? I would also like something that can use rechargable batteries.

THANKS

SL

 

[Ganja60Heavy]

First issue: a "2 D-cell LED." Since LED's are so efficient, there are few, if any, D-cell LED's due to unneccesary size/weight. You can have enormous burn-times with 2,3, or 4 AA-size batts at a much smaller size/weight. Large D-cell Maglights are basically for cops to beat people over the head with at a traffic stop (when the cameras are not rolling.)

Second issue: Shelf-life of rechargeables. Even the newer NiMH, compared to the miserable NiCD, have awful shelf-life. Charge it up, put it in your flight bag, and 2 months later they're dead.

Best to use alkaline or lithium batteries so that, the day you have a total electrical failure, your batteries kick ass.

Try: brightguy.com for an awesome selection of the latest flashlights. Let me know what you find, and feel free to PM me.

 

[HoursHore]

I use a Brinkman From Walmart. Its a surefire Knockoff with the Lithium BAtts. Very Bright.

http://www.brinkmann.net/Shop/Detail.aspx?category=Flashlights+%26+Spotlights&subcategory=Flashlights&sku=820-1025-0&seriesname=Lithium-Xenon&seriessku=FLA-2000-4&id=138

 

[atrdriver]

I got a small aluminum one from Wal-Mart that uses 3 AAA batts and an LED...came with a blue and red filter, very bright, about 4 inches long, 1 inch diameter, and I think I paid $13.00 or so.

 

[five-alive]

I use a Brinkman From Walmart. Its a surefire Knockoff with the Lithium BAtts. Very Bright.

http://www.brinkmann.net/Shop/Detail.aspx?category=Flashlights+%26+Spotlights&subcategory=Flashlights&sku=820-1025-0&seriesname=Lithium-Xenon&seriessku=FLA-2000-4&id=138

]


Does this have a low setting?

 

[squall line]

hey everyone...thanks for the suggestions. i sure appreciate it
sl

 

[Propnose]

Flashlight Suggestion

Check out this website - if there isn't a flashlight that suits your needs, just email him and ask. http://www.flashlightreviews.com/

 

[VAPOR]

the new industry standard

http://www.mypilotstore.com/mypilotstore/ppc/yahoo.asp?search=tac+torch&qryrmv=1&ppcs=overture&ppcg=05&keyword=tac+torch&OVRAW=tac%20torch&OVKEY=tac%20torch&OVMTC=standard

 

[semperfido]

best flashlights in the world

http://www.streamlight.com/

 

[Singlecoil]

I just got the Gerber LX 3.0 from REI for $49.95. 3 volt (watt?) LED is extremely bright. It even has a warning sticker that you could damage your eyes if you look at it. I think the battery life is 50 hours on 3 AA's. Supposedly lights up objects 150 feet away. It seems more than adequate for preflighting aircraft of any size.

 

[Mr. Hankey]

Do you airlines require a 2C or 2D flashlight? That seems dumb today when you can get an LED with AA that is brighter than the old mag lights.

 

[Benhuntn]

Streamlite.com there are several there that are as bright as 40,000 candle power and they are rechargeable.

 

[GravityHater]

The basic weakness of ALL flashlights is... the battery is certainly going to be low or dead the only time you need it.
Someone gave me a flashlight, 6" long/1.5"wide with its own internal electrical generator. Now it is not a NighttimeSun-lamp but you do not need or even want a lot of light in an emergency night time cockpit situation. Anyway, you give it a couple of shakes and it powers up a capacitor and bleeds the electricity into the bulb. Certainly there are components that can fail in this thing, but it is going to have a lot better chance of helping you than something with batteries.

 

[asolo]

Something to think about on the "no batteries needed" flashlights is that some (if not all) do use batteries. When you generate power (shake, crank, whatever) you are transfering electricity to the batteries (charging if you will) which in turn power the bulb for a while. If there were no storage for the power, once you stopped cranking the flashlight, the light would go out. BTW, these batteries eventually need to be replaced as they wear out just like any other battery.

 

[FlySacto]

The basic weakness of ALL flashlights is... the battery is certainly going to be low or dead the only time you need it.
Someone gave me a flashlight, 6" long/1.5"wide with its own internal electrical generator. Now it is not a NighttimeSun-lamp but you do not need or even want a lot of light in an emergency night time cockpit situation. Anyway, you give it a couple of shakes and it powers up a capacitor and bleeds the electricity into the bulb. Certainly there are components that can fail in this thing, but it is going to have a lot better chance of helping you than something with batteries.

One night Viper548 and I went for a flight with one of those self charging/rare earth magnet/super cap flashlights. We soon came to the conclusion that that thing had no place being in the cockpit of an airplane. We noticed that we were having some funky heading issues and we soon learned that we could hold a course on the GPS and totally jack up the whiskey compass by passing that flashlight around the cabin, even around the rear seats in a four place twin. Leave those things in the trunk of your car.

FlySacto