More flashlights and stuff

[alfsauve]

They came to my attention at the IDPA Nats sponsoring the low light stage.  Brilliant move (pun intended).

Where they lost out was not having a dealer on-site to sell lights, since most competitors had inadequate lights.

[Rastus]

That Nitecore is "only" $110.  I think I'll wait until the new wears off and the price falls hopefully around $50 to $80.  Nitecore makes good equipment.

[Big Frank]

I wouldn't have bought anything that I got from Olight if I had to pay full retail price. They have something on sale every week. I ended up ordering one of those Exploit tool rolls I thought I would never buy. But it was 40% off so I'm giving it a shot. They had one of their Build Your Own Bundle sales where one item is 30% off and 2 or more are 40% off. I really like the Mini Exploit and still don't think I'll like the Nylon and PVC(?) pockets as well as waxed canvas. But it holds more, and the detachable carry bag on the bottom could come in handy. Time will tell.

I'm getting another Baton 3 Pro 1500 Lumens Rechargeable Flashlight and will probably stick it on my bed and put the desert tan one that's there by the back door. I have another light there already but the fingers that clip it to the wall are really lose on my OD green pebble finish light. I don't know why it's so much smaller in diameter as my Mini Maglites and other 2 cell AA flashlights. I can drop the light in from the top, between the clips, instead of snapping it in from the front. That seems like a good place to put one of those L brackets instead. They have Baton 3 Pro and Arkflex Adjustable Right Angle Flashlights in Pumpkin Orange and Skeleton limited editions. I thought they did anyway but don't see the Baton 3 Pro Pumpkin one on the site. I thought about getting a Pumpkin Arkflex to go with my Skeleton Baton but decided to only get one or the other. I chose another 1,500 lumen Baton over the 1,000 lumen Arkflex, but may get one of those too someday. The 90 degree adjustable head would come in handy for a lot of things, like sticking it to the underside of the car hood at night if there's a problem. On the Skeleton Arkflex it looks like the skeleton is pointing to the power switch around the corner from it.    

They were giving away Nocturnal Sentinel versions of the i3E EOS Keychain Flashlight with every order until they ran out. I already have the Orange Skull version. They had a Nocturnal Sentinel version of the Warrior 3S High Beam Tactical Flashlight but sold out already. I like the looks of it better than my Stars & Stripes edition, but don't need, and can't afford, another one. I'm getting a few other lights and another knife too. They have Orange and Zombie Green versions of more models of flashlights now, like this Warrior Mini 3 Portable Tactical Flashlight. But I can't buy everything, and the Warrior Mini 2 Compact EDC Tactical Flashlight I already have is smaller. I also ordered an S1R Baton II EDC Light, which  is .71" shorter than the Warrior Nano I haver. I don't know how well I can hang onto a flashlight that's only 2.48" when my hand is an inch and a half wider.  


https://www.olightstore.com/baton-3-pro-small-rechargeable-flashlight

https://www.olightstore.com/arkflex-adjustable-right-angle-flashlight

https://www.olightstore.com/warrior-3s

https://www.olightstore.com/warrior-mini-3-portable-flashlight

[Big Frank]

Here's a regular orange Baton 3 Pro next to an orange skeleton one. When I looked at it on their site I thought it had a shiny finish. Now I realize that it's just the same. The brightness I thought I saw on the left side was an optical illusion caused by the darkness of the right side.

[Rastus]

I've been 1/2 way paying attention to this thread...OK..maybe 1/4 way paying attention.  I glance and go, I admit it. 

So, I learned something new a couple of weeks ago.  My son has a Fenix ht30r LEP flashlight.  He told me about that and I wasn't impressed.  He said it was a LEP...or Laser Excited Phosphor flashlight and that though not necessarily brighter it throws a very tight beam.  Still, I wasn't impressed as such....talk is talk you know even though he's an engineer and I did expect there was some measure of an improvement over beam divergence compared to a standard LED flashlight.

Then I saw it in action here on the farm on a target at 400'.  All I can say is ^@&#%^@$#...that thing is bright.  And there are brighter and tighter beam models...but that's what he runs on one of the AR's.   It's only around 560 lumens but ^@&#%^@$#, it throws a tight beam.

Have you guys seen one of the LEP lights in action?  No telling what I would have traded to have one of those in my coon huntin' days....

So now I'm thinking everyone needs to pitch in for old Dad's Christmas gift....I'm looking at the Weltool W4 "Dragon in a cloud" LEP flashlight.  It's nearly 3X brighter than the Fenix ht30r.

These LEP flashlights are really impressive if you guys are like me and didn't notice what was going on with them.  The difference is a lot like these new modern LED's compared to the old incandescent yellow bulb headlights we had back in the 60's and 70's before the xeon gas bulbs in the Maglights.  The LEP's are pricey...really pricey though.

[Sponsor]

[Big Frank]

I almost bought an Olight Valkyrie Turbo LEP when it was on sale. Then I saw that it was only 250 lumens, and I didn't know what LEP meant. They started selling them 2 years ago, and I could have gotten it $90, or whatever when it was on sale this year. But I didn't realize what it could do. I found the page where it used to be but haven't read it all yet. It has a max light Intensity of 70,225 candela and a throw of 1738 ft (530 m). For reference, 1,760 feet is 1/3 of a mile, and it's only 22 feet shy of that.      Amazon has a video on it that I couldn't find on YouTube found posted by Olight South Africa. If you want nothing but a long distance light, it's good. If you want a light with a good amount of spill so you can look around closer too you, it's bad.

https://www.olight.com/valkyrie-turbo-lep-lighting-tactical-light


https://www.amazon.com/OLIGHT-Flashlight-Long-Range-Weaponlight-Compatible/dp/B0B2JQPBQV



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AcjB3hCfrg 

[alfsauve]

RE Video.  More about the beam and less on gloves putting in the battery and demonstrating the mount would be nice.

collimation it’s called, where the beams/particles of light all travel in near the same direction.  One of the three key characteristics of lasers.  Coherence and mono-chromasity are the others.

[Big Frank]

Someone makes collimated lights that look like regular LED flashlights but I can't remember the brand. They make rifle mounts for them too, so you can bolt it onto your scope. They also make green ones, so you can shine coyotes and stuff in the distance without ruining you night vision ability. They weren't cheap, and I think I can find them if I do a search.

And I found them, but it looks like they closed. Optical Dynamics Exude OD50 Illuminator 50mm 2000 Lumens White Cree LED Aluminum Black with Rifle Mount. I found the ad for them without a mount at Midway. List price 300 bucks for the 50mm. The 40 mm was cheaper. They aren't flashlights, they're illuminators.

https://www.exudelight.com/storeclosed

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1023436712?pid=748742

[Big Frank]

That LEP that Olight made uses a laser this precise shade of blue. A wavelength 1 nm longer is considered violet. It shoots the laser beam backward and it hits a phosphor coated piece of metal. Then the magic happens. I saw a video where they compared 2 other Olights in the Odin series. The LEP light was longer, wider and heavier. You can see way off in the distance great with the LEP, but you can't see Jack Schmidt anywhere except directly in the beam. They have their uses but would be terrible as a WML. Unless you can get the bad guys to stand right in front of the light they may as well be invisible. 

[Rastus]

That LEP that Olight made uses a laser this precise shade of blue. A wavelength 1 nm longer is considered violet. It shoots the laser beam backward and it hits a phosphor coated piece of metal. Then the magic happens. I saw a video where they compared 2 other Olights in the Odin series. The LEP light was longer, wider and heavier. You can see way off in the distance great with the LEP, but you can't see Jack Schmidt anywhere except directly in the beam. They have their uses but would be terrible as a WML. Unless you can get the bad guys to stand right in front of the light they may as well be invisible.

Seeing to the side is what thermal is for....