Small spot flashlight? to side mount...

[self-deleted_user]

I did some searches and didn't yeild anything so appologies if I missed a topic that covered this.

The Apex, in a word, sucks. Eats through mah batteries like it's nobody's business and the flood is dimmer and worse throw than on my Corona. So, why would I use it as a primary I have no clue. I love the spot on it but I only flip it on for seeing in big rooms for a bit or lightpainting for photos so it rarely gets used, and is not worth it to have the poor battery eating flood on for traveling through the cave when my Corona does a way better job.

So, I've seen people mount tiny (like maybe running on 1 or 2 AA's or something?) flashlight looking things on the side of their helmets drilling holes/ziptying it on. I'm thinking this is a BRILLIANT idea so I can have a spot on my helmet but still use my far superior Corona. I'd like something in the 200 lumen range.

But...erm....what flashlight? I checked Fenix's site and didn't see anything. I checked Zebralight and saw stuff like $60+ which...dang. I thought something simple like this should be more like $30.

[Chads93GT]

2 questions.

1. What kind of batteries are you using? Be specific.

2. What setting are you running the light on?

[self-deleted_user]

What, the Apex? Energizer Max was one try, Energizer Advanced Lithium was another try. Max will run my Corona for 8+ hrs on high easy. Lithiums I can pull out 12+. Both, in my Apex, ran about 2-3 hrs on the flood high setting. I only used the full (200 lumen) spot for 10 min (5 on each set). And like I said, the flood on the Apex is sucky. Less throw and less brightness than the Corona.

I can totally see why folks with Apexes invest in the eneloops. If you're gonna change batteries ever 2-3 hours, yeah! It's cheaper to recharge!

[Chads93GT]

sounds like you had some bad cells new from the package. See the rechargeable battery thread. however, if you simply dont like the throw on the flood then you are SOL anyway. Flood lamps are for close quarters anyway, not seeing things a ways in front of you.

Anyway, rechargeables.

[self-deleted_user]

From 2 different new packages? That in the same package had other cells that ran my corona fine? Maybe...possible but I guess it seems not that likely.

Yeah eneloops and a proper charger, I've been reading on on the rechargables.

Maybe throw is the wrong term....I mean like this. So how far the beam goes forward and around the edges too, as well as brightness.




But still that doesn't help my "how do I get a spot on my helmet with keeping the superior (impo) corona as my main light since it's a good flood and i like it" question. :P

[Chads93GT]

Throw is the right term, like I said, flood LED's dont throw light. Your spot throws light The reason why people like the apex as it gives throw for borehole and flood for up close and non blinding light, such as when surveying. nothing is worse than sketching with a spot and lookinag at your paper, you are instantly "snow blind" for a bit.

[self-deleted_user]

Yeah I get it. I did like being able to flip to the spot when I wanted that! But it's not good light for my eyes for movement.

Hrm an unrelated question: why do the centers of both the apex and corona give blue light? Something to do with t he LED's used I'm guessing? I just thought it was funky. It's the red light spectrum I have problems seeing so the fact it's blue is fine - if it was red I'd not be able to see the center well though lol.

But back OT....small flashlight I can mount for spot use?

[David Grimes]

That seems odd to me, I have an Apex Pro (takes the small lithiums) and I can easily get 12+ hours of normal use. I consider normal use running the flood on high while leading or exploring side passages and using low flood while in a group and the spot for a few minutes at a time to check out the long passages or the large rooms. Most people I know use an Apex and while the battery life is reduced with rechargeable batteries, they usually get 5-6 hours before a battery change is needed. As for the light output of the flood I cannot comment since I do not have a Corona but I have never really been disappointed by the Apex. I guess if you were in large passages frequently it may seem inadequate.

[self-deleted_user]

I'm not in large passages normally!
Maybe I just have a faulty Apex :P
Yeah I felt I should be able to pull like 10 hrs of normal use or so, since I was assuming it would use more juice than the Corona. But not 2-3 hrs. That's just unacceptable.

[rlboyce]

Reliability, cost, watertightness, weight, runtime, lumens, size (among others) are things you'll want to know before making a purchase. Once you know these things, finding a light should be easier.

Me, I like to look at the cheaper stuff, see if any of those fulfill my needs, and if not I'll see what's available for a little more money.

Dealextreme is a good place to start. I recommend going for a Cree LED model, but it's up to you. They usually have beam shots with lots of customer input, photos and videos. Tons of nice lights, but there is a lot of junk there too. Overall very inexpensive with free shipping. Be prepared for possibly a couple weeks of waiting. Read the reviews. Go with lights with higher ratings. Do your homework, and you should be able to find a decent light on here.

http://www.dealextreme.com/c/aa-cree-flashlights-942?page=1&pagesize=52&pagesort=relevence

[rlboyce]

Also, if you find a flashlight on DX that seems to fit the bill, don't stop there! Type the flashlight name into a Google image search or something, and there is a good chance you will find more pictures of the light beam from the flashlight, more reviews of that flashlight (perhaps on Candlepowerforums) and comparisons between other flashlights.

[self-deleted_user]

hrm what is the term for the flashlights that have it on the side like the little zebralights like this: http://www.zebralight.com/H51Fw-AA-Floo ... _p_47.html

I saw a few pop up on dealxtreme and couldn't' find them again. I'm thinking that might actually be better so I don't have unequal weight on my helmet. I can't figure out the term for these though! They aren't under headlamps and they aren't under flashlights so I dunno where to look.

[snoboy]

I've been using and happy with the Fenix LD10, but it's only 100 lumens, so maybe not what you want exactly?

[rlboyce]

http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=10707 (note the lack of a reflector, which means a very floody beam)
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/trustfire-z1-cree-xp-e-q5-3-mode-280-lumen-memory-led-flashlight-1-cr123a-1-16340-39671 (this one has a reflector, but notice the oddball battery type)
There may be more of these, but these are two I found within 5 minutes.

There aren't very many of these type of zebralight clones out there. It's worth mentioning that the LED orientation with respect to the housing (what some people refer to as angle lights) doesn't permit a very large reflector, so the spot isn't as good as a traditional headlight.

I understand what you mean by unbalanced weight. However, we're talking about a relatively small flashlight, especially if you go with something like a 1AA version. I suggest you find a way to simulate the weight on your helmet. I've done this before to simulate the experience of having a much larger flashlight on my helmet. Just found something of an equivalent weight and tied it to the appropriate location with a bag. I immediately realized after the simulation it was a good thing I didn't buy it to mount to my helmet.

You could always add another flashlight to the other side.

[Marduke]

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/ultrafire- ... lster-1993
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/romisen-mx ... -1xaa-3607
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/aurora-c3- ... 4500-47353

The RC-G2 will have the best throw of the 3.