FLASHLIGHT FETISH

 

  The search for the perfect flashlight is, for me, like the search for the perfect tripod - never-ending.  From a small version that mounts on your finger to a big honking version that rivals a car headlight in intensity, the variety of flashlights available is rich.  Hardly a day goes by that I don't find a new flashlight to lust after.


  Flashlights when I was growing up had small incandescent bulbs that would frequently burn out and batteries that could go dead even when not used or, even worse, leak and corrode the flashlight.


  Beginning in the '80's and continuing to this day, flashlight technology really began to advance.  Companies like Maglite and Surefire started introducing new flashlights using exotic bulbs based on xenon or krypton with greatly improved relectors and bodies.  These things made for better light patterns, longer life bulbs, and with magnesium or aluminum bodies made for long-lasting units.


  In recent years, there have been two technologies that have significantly changed the character and usefulness of flashlights.  These are batteries and light emitting diodes (LEDs).


A Brief Battery History


  The first battery technology that permitted portable lights such as handheld flashlights was zinc-carbon.  Unfortunately, even when not used these would self-discharge so you could never depend on picking up a seldom-used flashlight and having it providing good illumination.  Batteries using this technology are still being sold today.  They work fine but shouldn't be depended on for "always at the ready" situations.


  The next technology that improved portable lighting batteries was alkaline.  This technology provided more energy density and shelf life than zinc-carbon batteries and is probably the most cost-effective technology for portable electronic equipment today.  However, they should not be depended on for long shelf life.  They can develop leaks and corrode the connections within the equipment.


The "hot tip" battery technology for me, however, is lithium.  Lithium batteries have two big advantages.  First they have a very long shelf life.  That is, they don't slowly discharge over time even when not being used.  They also don't have the propensity of zinc-carbon and alkaline batteries to develop leaks and corrosion over time.  These properties make them ideal for long-term standby applications such as flashlights.  The downside of these batteries is their cost - about twice that of alkaline batteries.  But on the other hand, they will also last much longer and are always at the ready.


LEDs


The light emitting diode (LED) was invented in 1962 and has evolved from small, low power indicator lights to today's applications that include exterior lighting, traffic signals, automobile tail lights, and illumination for LCD TVs.  LEDs have the advantages of high efficiency, long life, ruggedness, and small size.


The flashlights


  When these two technologies (lithium batteries and LEDs) are combined the result is a rich panoply of flashlights for a variety of purposes.  The picture below shows most (but not all) of the LED flashlights I have.

  The light pattern images show with the following descriptions were all taken at the same distance and same camera exposure.

  The first flashlight above (1) is the classic two D-cell battery incandescent-bulb flashlight.  This was the type (except for the plastic body) of flashlight I grew up with.  My father always had one in our car and at least one in the house.  A major problem with them was that unless you used them often, you couldn't be assured that they would have any battery charge when you really needed it.  And if you left them alone too long the zinc-carbon batteries would start to leak and corrode the flashlight.    


  As shown by its lighting pattern at the right, it has a "hot spot" in the middle that gives it some range but the spot is not uniform and not all that bright.


  The rest of the lights are examples of modern day application of LED's and, except for a couple, lithium battery technology.


  The tiny one is a "finger" light that is about an inch long and has a Velcro strap for attaching it to your finger for up-close operation of things in low light.  I keep one with my camcorder "kit".  It''s great for setting up a camera at night or in a darkened auditorium without drawing a lot of attention to the process.  It uses small silver-oxide batteries rather than lithium.


  The next one (3) is a recent acquisition.  It's about the size of a classic "pen cell" flashlight but, due to the use of an LED it provides almost as much light as the classic D-cell flashlight as you can see from its light pattern on the right.  The "hotspot" of the D-cell light will reach out further  than the pencell but for most around-the-house uses the pencell has a better pattern.  


  This slim pencell light uses three AAAA alkaline batteries (non-lithium), will fit in your shirt pocket and provides a more useable light pattern than the D-cell model.  I keep one on my desk to help find things in the back of dark drawer or closet.


  The yellow-bodied light (4) is the G2 Nitrolon from Surefire.  It's lightweight, waterproof, and uses two CR123A lithium photo batteries.  I keep it in my car for emergency use.  As you can see from the image at right, it has a nice tight, uniformly bright pattern.  It has an optional flip-up red filter that, when covering the lens, provides a red light.  Great for finding things in a car at night without reducing your night vision adaptation as a white light will.  


  The web link to the G2 above indicates this is an xenon light source but I have is an LED version version that doesn't seem to be offered any longer.

  The next light (5) is an E2DL "Defender" from Surefire.  I carry this one in my briefcase for emergency use.  it has a bright output with two different levels, an aluminum body, and uses two CR123A batteries.  As you can see from the image at right the pattern is about the same size as the preceding G2 but brighter.


  It has a scalloped front hood that is strong enough for breaking through a car window if required, or for self-defense.  I also have a slip-on red filter for it so that night vision adaptation is not affected if needed.


  Now we move to the "800 pound gorillas" of flashlights.  The first of these (6) is about the same size of the classic D-cell model - the Fenix TK45.  This sucker uses eight AA lithium batteries and three powerful LEDs to output a maximum of 760 lumens!  As shown by the image on the right the pattern is bright and broad.


  It has four different light levels plus four "strobe" modes, including an "SOS" mode in which the light automatically flashes S-O-S in Morse code!  If you need a flashlight for the great outdoors this is it.  It not only has a powerful beam but the beam is relatively broad so that you have good "peripheral vision".  It is of rugged, all aluminum construction.


  My current maximum lumen champion is the last flashlight (7) - the Surefire Invictus.  This monster has a maximum 800 lumen output that is brighter than many automobile headlights.  The image at right shows that the light is focused in a tighter, but brighter pattern than the TK45 preceding.    The light is bright enough to slow down any intruder and its strobe mode will create dizziness in most people.  I keep this one of these near our bed and shotgun.


  It also provides eight output light levels and an also has an "SOS" mode similar to the Fenix, in addition to the strobe mode.  It uses a single high-output LED and three CR123A batteries which provide almost two hours of light at the maximum level.  A "survivalists" dream.


  So there you have it.  A rundown on a subset of the flashlights that I currently have.  Enjoy.  Sometime I'll tell about some of the others I have and their uses.