I want a POWERFUL LED Flashlight

[CarlF]

The Marinebeam rechargeable has a 450M distance rating vs 700M for the flashlight. While it might give a wider area illumination, I’d be concerned that the wider beam would reflect off decks and rails ruining your night vision.

For picking out distant buoys, boats and crab pots, I’ve never found anything in the same league of the Marinebeam flashlight.

And since the D batteries literally last me a year, there’s little benefit to rechargeable.

But Marinebeam must see a use for the new light as it’s priced the same as the flashlight. I’ll be interested to see comments.

 

[twistedtree]

I'm real interested to hear how these lights turn out, or turn on as the case may be

 

[CarlF]

I agree that the Marinebeam Is not a great general purpose flashlight. If you don’t have a deck, railing or sails in the way, the very narrow beam is pointless. And it’s too heavy to comfortably carry on a walk,

But it’s a handheld searchlight replacement rather than a flashlight replacement. At an outside helm, It lets you pick out an object without losing your night vision from reflections off your own bow, apnd railings . The cheap “million candlepower” searchlights at Wedt Marine scatter so much light that they are useless from a helm. You have to have someone hold it at the bow.

The best way to use it is to sweep it back and forth about 20 degrees. As the light beam crosses the buoy it just “pops” from the dark water background.

 

[ScottC]

I had an O-Light, which cost me 130€. It was rugged -- almost too heavy. It took 3x18650 Lithium Ion batteries. Recharging unit was built in. Was supposed to be waterproof. I write all this in the past tense because my O-light is no more. It failed after my first dive under the boat to check the prop & shaft for a weed issue one day. Of course, it was just outside the period where the dealer in Germany would take it back. Because it was still in warranty, however, they told me I could send it to the manufacturer for repair or replacement. Right. China & Co.

I have replaced my O-light with an equally expensive ArmyTek Barracuda (marketed from Canada, but I think made in China). The recharger is a separate unit. I've been very happy with this light, thus far. I admit when diving under the boat with it, however, I put it in a ziplock bag first. Perhaps it's really waterproof...but I've come to like the extra cheap insurance of a ziplock bag ;-)

 

[RedRascal]

Looked at this thread a while back and it encouraged me to investigate new options after some leaky AAA batteries killed off one of my go to lights. I was looking for an all around light that could throw a good beam and also be good for walking around. After looking at different brands I landed with Wowtac as an affordable option and went with their A4 that uses a 26650 battery. The throw was really impressive but the beam was too bright and focused for walking around. Even though I could carry it in the pocket of my jeans it was pretty bulky for that.

So I switched gears to a smaller model the A6 that uses the smaller 18650 battery which makes it better for carrying in your pocket. The beam is more of a flood which makes it great for walking around and for investigating nooks and crannies on a boat. I am in boat shopping mode now so this great from me when I go check out a boat.

My second use is for camping, I wanted a light that I can use to check out possible campsites at night. The A6 is rated for 1,400+ lumens on turbo mode so it does put out a lot of light for its size and works okay to look into the woods at night. The A4 would be better for campsite discovery but so far the A6 has been getting the job done. I also ordered the "natural" light color temperature which is a little warmer light and I like it. Both lights have built in chargers and I haven't had any charging issues. It seems like things progress fairly rapidly in the flashlight world so I am sure my A6 is already out of date. This worked out to be a helpful thread for me, thanks gang.

 

[millersues]

I've had a terrible experience with all sorts of LED flashlights. The main issue is their fake water resistance. God knows why they make them so shabby.

 

[dannc]

Tis an old thread.

Years ago, I put LED heads or bulbs in my large Maglites to replace the old bulbs.

It was eight years ago, so what I bought is not made anymore, but I would think there are new models, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007843698/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1. This really throws out the light.

I also just replaced the old bulbs with LED, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000B868NE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

All have worked just fine and were much better than the old bulbs.

My Maglites are decades old, I think one is 30 years old, and they just keep working. I do have some Surefire and Streamlight lights and they have their use too. Odd how many flashlights one ends up with..

And why do we still call them flash lights? They do not flash like the first flash lights did.

Later,
Dan

 

[stubones99]

I've had a terrible experience with all sorts of LED flashlights. The main issue is their fake water resistance. God knows why they make them so shabby.

If you want good LED flashlights, go to illuminationgear.com
Their eagletac LED lights are tough enough for dunking, but won't float. I dropped one in deep water and watched it sink. That was a sinking feeling, knowing I wasn't going after it, and the LED light was still on as it went deeper, and was out of sight in a minute or so.


On a boat, I recommend sticking them in a pool noodle so they have some buoyancy. I've been using Eagletac lights for over 10 years now, and have had very few problems.

The USAF dropped one out of a helo at 1000 feet and it survived without damage. Landed end first in the sand with the IR light still on, making it easy to find.

Back when my kids were kids, we would toss one in the deep end of the pool and have them retrieve it. Not the intended purpose, but they had no problem with getting dunked in the pool.

If you go for most cheap lights, their design criteria is beating a price point. They take all sorts of shortcuts to get a cheap light you can sell for under $20 or so. The circuitry will overheat. The switches will leak and burn up. The batteries are not spring isolated. On those lights, dropping the light turns the battery into a sledge hammer which often cracks the circuit board, since the positive lead often contacts the board directly, with a spring at the back negative end. All Eagletac lights have springs on both ends and that isolates the battery weight from the circuitry. They also have o-ring seals on all openings, and the light comes with spare seals if you use it in sandy environments. And they have a great warranty..

The newer lights have USB-C charge ports in the side, so you no longer need to open the light to remove the battery to charge it. it blinks one of the buttons to indicate how much charge the battery has when you first turn it on.

I am not affiliated with Eagletac or Illumination Gear in any way. Just glad they make good products. There is at least one light in each car, and one in my pocket, always.

 

[Gris]

A lot of rifle-lights are extremely powerful for their size, and typically shock proof and water proof to a certain depth. However, you certainly pay for them.

 

[Tom.B]

This is our new boat searchlight. It is pretty awesome. Plenty powerful... plenty waterproof.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08YY9XGLL?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details

 

[kamaveles]

Nowadays, it's hard to find a powerful enough LED flashlight to illuminate something with a bright and full beam of light in total darkness. When I choose flashlights, I'm usually guided by such a characteristic as a powerful beam. Also, I prefer flashlights that don't feel heavy in my hand or head. Yes, the heaviness of the flashlight is based on the weight of the battery. So it's better to get flashlights with replaceable batteries rather than batteries and charging from an outlet. Batteries weigh down flashlights that you can bolt on with a helmet on your head. This is the model I like https://www.amazon.com/Vont-Flashlight-Flashlights-Water-Resistant-Accessories/dp/B089T8HDBV. This is the last flashlight I took for fishing and camping.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. TB. Bad linky. You stinky. Interested.

 

[C lectric]

Try this:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Thrunite+TN42+V2

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. C. Thanks, maybe... Holy crap $269!

 

[C lectric]

$269.00 Yeah, I just about dropped my mouse. Good thing it resides on the desk.

 

[Philkoury]

https://www.dremel.com/us/en/p/hsfl-01-f013fl01aa this is an impressive little flashlight. Three brightness settings and has wide to narrow beam adjustment. Available at Home Depot.

 

[Glaudelin]

Unfortunately, I have not been able to solve a similar problem that I identified in my trunk. A friend advised me to study the video materials to identify the cause of the breakdown independently, but nothing happened.