Lights For Law Enforcement / Tactical Flashlight Review - Page 4

black bear 84 · July 10th, 2007, 08:41 AM

Hi Alien Nation,
Thank you for the compliment, it is appreciated.

The NIMH batteries retain the charge quite well and have a self discharge rate of 1 % per day.

Even the best Sanyo batteries self discharge at this rate, I am always in the look out for a better battery for my lights, and I have changed a few months ago to the new POWEREX 2700 mah that have high current capabilities and has been proved to self discharge at 1/2 of 1 % per day.

Anyway I recommend my customers that they do top off the charge every month (I do it every time I pay my phone bill and rotate my magazines), it just take only a few minutes in the RC FAST charger (90 minutes for a full recharge).

An important part of the equation is how you treat your batteries at the start, when I built the lights, I give the new batteries two forming charges (a base for subsequent charges) in the slow Vanson charger (12 hours each time)
I then match them for the exact capacity in the La Crosse 900, that way with matched capacity they finish the charge all together and the customer get maximum brightness to the very end of the run time, (50 minutes).

There is in the market a new class of NIMH batteries pioneered by Sanyo, Eneelop in the Sanyo brand, they retain the charge even much longer and can stay charged for a full year, the only thing is that they have a reduced capacity of 2,000 mah giving the BOREALIS only 35 minutes or so.
The Eneelop are high capacity enough to cope well with the 3150 mah demands from the BOREALIS' bulb.
Now RayOvac is coming out with its own version and Titanium has another in the market, but I haven't tried these two new brands in the Borealis, so I can't comment.

I do have provided the Eneelop to some civilian customers that wish to store the flashlight and forget it for a long time.

I use Nimh rechargeable for everything, cameras, GPS, Laser range finder and two way radios are some of the gadgets that drink battery juice like no tomorrow, the rechargeable Nimhs give me guilt free usage of these gadgets and I will never pollute another landfill or throw money away with alkaline.

Kind regards
Black bear

Alien Nation · July 11th, 2007, 02:02 AM

Very cool. I've ben looking into the ENELOOPS and plan to get a bunch and a Maha charger too. I'm going to use AA batteries in my D cell lights too using an adaptor(all I have at the moment is 2D lights). You don't happen to have any do you? The adaptors I'm looking at right now are from Aventrade (http://www.aventrade.com/baad.html) and DealExtreme (http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.3228). I imagine I'll be recharching two to three times a month( probably more!) because I love playing with my lights!

The more I think about it the more I think the Bear cub will meat my needs best. I think I'll get it first then save up for the Borealis later. I got a 2D Mag-Lite LED on sale at Wal-Mart a few days ago for $15. With it set for spot it lights up an object decently at 200 feet. I can imagine what your lights do!

black bear 84 · July 11th, 2007, 10:31 AM

I am not familiar with the Aventrade, but they say that you can use 3 batteries in their 4 batteries holder, so get two of them inside your new 2 D light, replace the bulb of the 2 D with a Xenon magnum Star for 5 cells (a Maglite product available sometimes from Home Depot or similar store).

use good grade AA Nimhs.

And you have done your first easy mod.

A couple of nights ago I was asked to do a beam shot with a Maglite 3 D at my target deer & bear (26 yards).
I put fresh Duracell D batteries in the Maglite (39 lumens) and here are the results:

Maglite 3 D

BOREALIS 1050 lumens

Yes, I know, I have to use the weed eater more oftem!

Cheers
Black Bear

Alien Nation · July 11th, 2007, 08:11 PM

Actually just today I was thinking about a Terralux TerraLUX MiniStar5, 4 AA Eneloops w2AA -1D adaptors and this http://www.surplusshed.com/pages/item/pl1028.html . I've actually though about that lens once I get the Bear cub and Borealis too.

Quote:

so get two of them inside your new 2 D light, replace the bulb of the 2 D with a Xenon magnum Star for 5 cells (a Maglite product available sometimes from Home Depot or similar store).

I love that idea!!

black bear 84 · July 16th, 2007, 07:21 AM

Alien nation,
Actually the diameter of the Borealis or Bear Cub lenses is 52.1 mm I would have to have it in hand to see if it stay on the bezel.
Or it is possible to hold it with one of the maglite anti roll bezels that go over the regular head.

It is an intriging idea, thank you.

Black Bear

black bear 84 · July 16th, 2007, 07:38 AM

Allien nation,
I have ordered one of the aspherical lenses to try out, I let you know when I get it.

black bear 84 · July 25th, 2007, 08:20 PM

The aspherical lens arrived, it is a beautiful lens, BUT it defocus the light badly. Can't use it.

Black Bear

black bear 84 · August 4th, 2007, 10:23 AM

THE FENIX L1D
AA KEY CHAIN LIGHT
WITH CREE EMITTER

I finally remembered to order one of them, as I am not in any sense keychain-light poor, having several of them from the ARC AAA passing through the CMG (Course Made Good) to the Streamlight key mate and Fenix’s L1P and LOP AAA.

Not long ago, I reviewed the Jet beam II Mark VIII, which is a very similar light to the Fenix L1D. Any of the two can be considered revolutionary, and it is hard not to get excited about them.

I opted to have the Fenix L1D that works with 1 AA battery, as I like the size and shape which is the same as the Fenix L1P that I have been using for the last 18 months.
The L1P is a 40 lumen light that runs on one AA battery. I never did a timed run test because I always carry a couple of extra batteries in my pocket anyway to get extra run time from my lights, but wherever it is, it can never equal the multi-functional powers of the Fenix L1D.

The extreme power is achieved by a Cree 7090 XR-E LED emitter with a life of 50,000 hours- the little torch has two models of output selected by turning the bezel.
The first mode (as you click the light on) is 9 lumens and will last for 25 hours in the AA battery. The second mode (as you soft-press the switch) is 40 lumens and will last for 5 hours, and another soft press on the switch will access the 80 lumen power and your battery will last for 2 hours.
There is also an SOS mode (with another soft press) using the 80 lumens power.

Here are some of the lights, at top is a McGizmo modification (a collector’s item light worth $250 USD) it outputs 135 lumens and the big 32 mm reflector throws the light well at the 26 yards distance.
Next is the Fenix L1D which shows it is a tad longer than the Fenix L1P , below.
Next is the ARC AAA and the Fenix LOP, great keychain lights, all.

The second mode of the light system is accessed by turning the bezel ½ a turn. It is a steady 90 lumens that will last for 1 ½ hours and with a soft press of the switch the 90 lumens becomes a very quick strobe, that can disorient people or help in disco dancing.

Most chores inside the house can be handled with the 9 lumen mode. For walking the dog or hiking a trail at night I will use the 40 lumen mode; in fact, I can see that attaching it to my cap with Velcro will beat all the head lights in the market, as it is so light and so convenient without the restricting head band around my head- and anyway, I always wear a cap to shade my eyes or protect my glasses from rain, branches, etc.

The SOS or the strobe mode will always be there if I need to attract attention in an emergency. It is even useable in the suburbs, like recently, when a member of my family fell and broke her arm in the rear entrance of a church, she landed between two pine trees and the pain was so strong that she was unable to move, or even scream for help, and a key chain light used as a signal called the attention of people nearby and she was able to summon help that way.

Here are beam shots with the L1P on left and the L1D on right both at 40 lumens, the L1P is more yellow in the corona, but at the center are of the same intensity

The 80 lumen mode or the 90 lumen mode puts a tremendous amount of light NEARBY. Yes, I emphasize the word because due to the small reflector (that will diffuse the light into a flood), the reach of this little light even at that power is very restricted. Oh yes, it will serve to illuminate a big room well, but when tested at the 26 yards distance where I have my deer and bear it was just as the poor results that I got before with the Jet beam, so you can check that post if you are curious about the amount of light reaching there.

For that long distance you just need a bigger reflector of a bigger flashlight. My PR Turbo head by McGizmo running two Lithium Ion 123’s is much more efficient in putting illumination in the 26 yard spot just because the Pelican reflector of 32 mm is so much more efficient in canalizing the light.

So, a long distance light it is not, but all the other common chores can be handled very easily with the new Fenix L1D light. The battery will last a long time on the nine lumen mode (25 hours) and will probably be my choice for hanging from the ceiling of the tent all night long, in replacement of the CMG LED that I was using until now.

I paid $52 USD for the light and I consider the cost a bargain. With one in my pocket I just need two or three more powerful lights to cover all lightning situations that I can possible think of; for example, I will use a 200 lumen light in my belt for animal control (in the wild and in the street- and I mean two and four-legged animals) this could be a Surefire Centurion III with the optional P-91 lamp, or even better the rechargeable Bear Cub 220 lumen 90 minutes run time.
For my truck or cars, I am never too far away from a Borealis flashlight, 1050 lumens and 50 minute run time, the most powerful flashlight in the world with the power of a two million candlepower spotlight.
With that I am in control of riots, accident sites, search and rescue, and WWIII.

Coming back to the Fenix L1D, yes I am very happy with this light. Hopefully it will give me even better service than the Fenix L1P and the LOP that I have been using until now -lights that are very good and I have nothing but praise for them.
Respectfully
Black Bear

abeaux · August 10th, 2007, 10:40 PM

I recently came across a site http://atomicxun.com and ordered a few lights that I am very happy with just wanted to pass it on

black bear 84 · August 15th, 2007, 07:14 AM

Hi guys,
I did this piece for a hiking club I belong to. I thought you guys could be interested. Just please forgive the hiking flavor.

THE MOST POWERFUL FLASHLIGHTS
LIGHTS FOR TRUCK OR CAR

Hi guys,
Yes, I know that this has nothing to do with hiking, but most of us use car or truck transportation to get to the trail head and usually carry some form of a flashlight in the vehicle.
A powerful light can be a life saver in many instances, I well remember when driving up to the Adirondacks at 2 am in an empty 87 North at a point between exit 28 and 29 (North Hudson) some wild people in a truck tried to run us over into the shoulder of the road, my wife shinned a powerful light into their windshield and they desisted in the intent and actually braked hard and disappeared.
Maybe they though that only police cars would have such a powerful light and that it was better to look for their kicks somewhere else; the case was that the light resolved the situation for us.

Then it was the time when we used it to illuminate the scene of and accident involving a deer and a poor woman in a compact car in a dark lonely side road, where blood and the insides of the deer were everywhere and the car was inoperable.

Calling by phone from New York City to a local in the Adirondacks to get our weather information I was told of a new ruse some bad guys were using to rob and hi jack cars in roads with poor traffic in the area.
The information came handy a few weeks later when in Boreas road near the junction with Tahawus road we were flagged by a guy in a truck with the head lights illuminating a dead dog in the middle of the road. at the time I was using a car I had bought from my neighbor the cop, it had a PA system and blue lights mounted in the vicinity of the radiator; we stopped short, illuminated the area with the two million candlepower of a Borealis flashlight and hit the blue lights and PA system telling them over the mike to stay were they where and to show their hands. The guy in the truck jumped inside and did a burning tire escape even running over the body of the dog, while his confederate in the bushes at the side of the road had just barely time to dive head first into the bed of the truck.

So I though that I will show the guys in the forums what a powerful light is since I have several of them with me.

HERE IS A PICTURE OF THE LIGHTS, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Maglite 3 D, Magcharger, Ultra Stinger, Surefire M-6 Guardian, and Borealis.

AND HERE A PICTURE OF THE BATTERY STICKS AND CARRIERS FROM LEFT: The 6 volts battery stick of the Magcharger, the skinny 6 volts battery stick of the Ultra Stinger, the plastic carrier for the six 123’s batteries of the Surefire M-6 and last the aluminum and Delryn 12 volts carrier of the Borealis 1050 lumens flashlight.

The Maglite 3 D is the most popular light carried by almost everybody in a truck or car. The 12 ½ inches of length and the thirty one ounces of weight make also a good impact weapon for emergencies, moreover, is the affordability of the light that can be obtained almost anywhere for less than $20, and, by the way, it is a quality instrument with tight tolerances and proudly still made in the USA.
So the Maglite 3 D is going to be our first test and beam shot, the light is quite waterproof to a good extend, my neighbor’s kids use one to collect coins from the bottom of the pool in a game they have.
The Maglite 3 D output 39 lumens and runs on three of the popular D size alkaline batteries; it will run for an hour before the output drops to 20 lumens due to the sag that alkaline batteries exhibit under load.

BEAM SHOT OF THE MAGLITE 3 D (39 LUMENS)

MAG Instruments also produce a powerful rechargeable police light called the Magcharger, www.maglite.com this light is used by many police departments in the states and abroad; this light is the size and shape of a regular Maglite 3 D but with 2 rings of steel where the contacts for the charger are.
This light will output 200 lumens (40,000 candlepower) and I think that the price is about $120.00 a well built quality light of 12 ½ inch and a weight of thirty one ounces, it works with a 6 volt system on a stick of Ni Cads batteries; the charger will charge the light in 12 hours and as the Ni Cad batteries sometimes acquire memory, it is necessary to discharge it full and recharge to erase the memory in the batteries after using it for a couple of weeks.

BEAM SHOT OF THE MAGCHARGER (200 LUMENS)

The Streamlight Ultra Stinger is the most powerful offering from Streamlight, a well known police flashlight provider, The Ultra Stinger will output 75,000 candlepower, lumens figure is 295 lumens, it also works with a 6 volt system of rechargeable Ni Cad batteries, formed in a stick, the light is very popular with many police agencies and also recharges in 12 hours.
Police station across America have racks of Ultra Stingers in chargers waiting for the night shift to arrive, the light is a lightweight at 12 inches and 15 ounces, I think that the price is around $130 in the street as some lights can be bought at discount from the web.
The address for Streamlight is www.streamlight.com there they have the whole line of Stingers and other police and emergency services lights.

BEAM SHOT OF THE ULTRA STINGER (295 LUMENS)

Our SWAT teams and Special Forces use for entry and to blind suspects a powerful military type flashlight called the Surefire M-6 Guardian. This light works with those powerful 3 volts Lithium batteries that are sometimes used in cameras, the flashlight uses six of them disposables batteries to run the light at 500 lumens for 20 minutes; after the 20 minutes you have to dump the batteries and get another six fresh batteries in the carrier, which is of not importance when the agency pay for the batteries, but to us civilians, dumping $12.00 worth of batteries after a 20 minutes run can get to be expensive.
This light was until recently the most powerful in the world, and Surefire sells a good quantity of them despite the tag of $400 USD.
I used one for a while in my car because it fits my glove compartment, as the light is shorter and lighter than the ones we have been discussing so far.
At 8 inches 14 ounces it is quite compact, but it will make a poor strike weapon although the powerful beam of 500 lumens will blind men or animal.
If you want more information on this light the address of Surefire is www.surefire.com

BEAM SHOT OF THE SUREFIRE M-6 (500 LUMENS)

My red rechargeable Borealis flashlight at 1050 lumens (two million candlepower) is the king of all the powerful lights and the most powerful flashlight in the world at this time.
It is made on the “host” of 3D, so replacement shells are easy available and inexpensive and the owner can replace a shell that have been scratched or dented for a mere $20 if he wishes, and in only 10 minutes transfer the special parts, (some of us take pride in good looking equipment).
This light is seen deployment with some members of the border patrol to illuminate the frontier in their quest for illegal immigration. The light can throw a powerful beam for hundred of yards and in a pinch it can be used as headlights or a landing light.
Police officers are acquiring the Borealis to use the same way that they have been using the Maglite and Magcharger, the tremendous light output makes it ideal for accident sites and traffic stops.
It uses a 12 volt system of rechargeable high current NINH batteries in a beautifully made Rolls Royce carrier, the batteries don’t have any problem with memory and the new type of batteries used in this light can be away from the charger for more than a month before it needs to be topped off, and the recharging time of the light is only 90 minutes.
The run time of this light is 50 continuous minutes; it is 12 ½ inches long and weights 28 ounces. In test ran by the maker, the light was tortured and even shot with a .22 rifle without stopping emitting light. (As a video shows in the web site).
The light sells for $320 shipped directly from the maker, which is www.BlackBearFlashlights.com

BEAM SHOT OF THE BOREALIS (1050 LUMENS)

I thought you guys will be interested to see all these lights in action, and I pointed them to a point in the fence next to the tree with the beams and camera shooting from a 35 yards distance, this is the longest distance that I have in the back yard

Although you can not take them in your night hikes (because of the extra weight) any of them will make a good addition to your car or truck gear, who knows, maybe they can really help you out of a tight situation like they did for me.

Respectfully

Black Bear

July 10th, 2007, 08:41 AM	#31
black bear 84 Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: New York Posts: 157	Hi Alien Nation, Thank you for the compliment, it is appreciated. The NIMH batteries retain the charge quite well and have a self discharge rate of 1 % per day. Even the best Sanyo batteries self discharge at this rate, I am always in the look out for a better battery for my lights, and I have changed a few months ago to the new POWEREX 2700 mah that have high current capabilities and has been proved to self discharge at 1/2 of 1 % per day. Anyway I recommend my customers that they do top off the charge every month (I do it every time I pay my phone bill and rotate my magazines), it just take only a few minutes in the RC FAST charger (90 minutes for a full recharge). An important part of the equation is how you treat your batteries at the start, when I built the lights, I give the new batteries two forming charges (a base for subsequent charges) in the slow Vanson charger (12 hours each time) I then match them for the exact capacity in the La Crosse 900, that way with matched capacity they finish the charge all together and the customer get maximum brightness to the very end of the run time, (50 minutes). There is in the market a new class of NIMH batteries pioneered by Sanyo, Eneelop in the Sanyo brand, they retain the charge even much longer and can stay charged for a full year, the only thing is that they have a reduced capacity of 2,000 mah giving the BOREALIS only 35 minutes or so. The Eneelop are high capacity enough to cope well with the 3150 mah demands from the BOREALIS' bulb. Now RayOvac is coming out with its own version and Titanium has another in the market, but I haven't tried these two new brands in the Borealis, so I can't comment. I do have provided the Eneelop to some civilian customers that wish to store the flashlight and forget it for a long time. I use Nimh rechargeable for everything, cameras, GPS, Laser range finder and two way radios are some of the gadgets that drink battery juice like no tomorrow, the rechargeable Nimhs give me guilt free usage of these gadgets and I will never pollute another landfill or throw money away with alkaline. Kind regards Black bear __________________ Builder of the BOREALIS 1050 lumens flashlight and www.blackbearflashlights.com E-Mail admin@blackbearflashlights.com

July 11th, 2007, 02:02 AM	#32
Alien Nation Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Kentucky Posts: 283	Very cool. I've ben looking into the ENELOOPS and plan to get a bunch and a Maha charger too. I'm going to use AA batteries in my D cell lights too using an adaptor(all I have at the moment is 2D lights). You don't happen to have any do you? The adaptors I'm looking at right now are from Aventrade (http://www.aventrade.com/baad.html) and DealExtreme (http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.3228). I imagine I'll be recharching two to three times a month( probably more!) because I love playing with my lights! The more I think about it the more I think the Bear cub will meat my needs best. I think I'll get it first then save up for the Borealis later. I got a 2D Mag-Lite LED on sale at Wal-Mart a few days ago for $15. With it set for spot it lights up an object decently at 200 feet. I can imagine what your lights do! __________________ “You come at me with a sword and with a spear. But I come at you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you". 1 Samuel 17, 45-46 Brian

July 11th, 2007, 10:31 AM	#33
black bear 84 Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: New York Posts: 157	I am not familiar with the Aventrade, but they say that you can use 3 batteries in their 4 batteries holder, so get two of them inside your new 2 D light, replace the bulb of the 2 D with a Xenon magnum Star for 5 cells (a Maglite product available sometimes from Home Depot or similar store). use good grade AA Nimhs. And you have done your first easy mod. A couple of nights ago I was asked to do a beam shot with a Maglite 3 D at my target deer & bear (26 yards). I put fresh Duracell D batteries in the Maglite (39 lumens) and here are the results: Maglite 3 D BOREALIS 1050 lumens Yes, I know, I have to use the weed eater more oftem! Cheers Black Bear __________________ Builder of the BOREALIS 1050 lumens flashlight and www.blackbearflashlights.com E-Mail admin@blackbearflashlights.com

July 16th, 2007, 07:21 AM	#35
black bear 84 Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: New York Posts: 157	Alien nation, Actually the diameter of the Borealis or Bear Cub lenses is 52.1 mm I would have to have it in hand to see if it stay on the bezel. Or it is possible to hold it with one of the maglite anti roll bezels that go over the regular head. It is an intriging idea, thank you. Black Bear __________________ Builder of the BOREALIS 1050 lumens flashlight and www.blackbearflashlights.com E-Mail admin@blackbearflashlights.com

July 16th, 2007, 07:38 AM	#36
black bear 84 Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: New York Posts: 157	Allien nation, I have ordered one of the aspherical lenses to try out, I let you know when I get it. __________________ Builder of the BOREALIS 1050 lumens flashlight and www.blackbearflashlights.com E-Mail admin@blackbearflashlights.com

July 25th, 2007, 08:20 PM	#37
black bear 84 Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: New York Posts: 157	The aspherical lens arrived, it is a beautiful lens, BUT it defocus the light badly. Can't use it. Black Bear __________________ Builder of the BOREALIS 1050 lumens flashlight and www.blackbearflashlights.com E-Mail admin@blackbearflashlights.com Last edited by black bear 84 : July 26th, 2007 at 12:31 PM.

August 4th, 2007, 10:23 AM	#38
black bear 84 Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: New York Posts: 157	THE FENIX L1D AA KEY CHAIN LIGHT WITH CREE EMITTER I finally remembered to order one of them, as I am not in any sense keychain-light poor, having several of them from the ARC AAA passing through the CMG (Course Made Good) to the Streamlight key mate and Fenix’s L1P and LOP AAA. Not long ago, I reviewed the Jet beam II Mark VIII, which is a very similar light to the Fenix L1D. Any of the two can be considered revolutionary, and it is hard not to get excited about them. I opted to have the Fenix L1D that works with 1 AA battery, as I like the size and shape which is the same as the Fenix L1P that I have been using for the last 18 months. The L1P is a 40 lumen light that runs on one AA battery. I never did a timed run test because I always carry a couple of extra batteries in my pocket anyway to get extra run time from my lights, but wherever it is, it can never equal the multi-functional powers of the Fenix L1D. The extreme power is achieved by a Cree 7090 XR-E LED emitter with a life of 50,000 hours- the little torch has two models of output selected by turning the bezel. The first mode (as you click the light on) is 9 lumens and will last for 25 hours in the AA battery. The second mode (as you soft-press the switch) is 40 lumens and will last for 5 hours, and another soft press on the switch will access the 80 lumen power and your battery will last for 2 hours. There is also an SOS mode (with another soft press) using the 80 lumens power. Here are some of the lights, at top is a McGizmo modification (a collector’s item light worth $250 USD) it outputs 135 lumens and the big 32 mm reflector throws the light well at the 26 yards distance. Next is the Fenix L1D which shows it is a tad longer than the Fenix L1P , below. Next is the ARC AAA and the Fenix LOP, great keychain lights, all. The second mode of the light system is accessed by turning the bezel ½ a turn. It is a steady 90 lumens that will last for 1 ½ hours and with a soft press of the switch the 90 lumens becomes a very quick strobe, that can disorient people or help in disco dancing. Most chores inside the house can be handled with the 9 lumen mode. For walking the dog or hiking a trail at night I will use the 40 lumen mode; in fact, I can see that attaching it to my cap with Velcro will beat all the head lights in the market, as it is so light and so convenient without the restricting head band around my head- and anyway, I always wear a cap to shade my eyes or protect my glasses from rain, branches, etc. The SOS or the strobe mode will always be there if I need to attract attention in an emergency. It is even useable in the suburbs, like recently, when a member of my family fell and broke her arm in the rear entrance of a church, she landed between two pine trees and the pain was so strong that she was unable to move, or even scream for help, and a key chain light used as a signal called the attention of people nearby and she was able to summon help that way. Here are beam shots with the L1P on left and the L1D on right both at 40 lumens, the L1P is more yellow in the corona, but at the center are of the same intensity The 80 lumen mode or the 90 lumen mode puts a tremendous amount of light NEARBY. Yes, I emphasize the word because due to the small reflector (that will diffuse the light into a flood), the reach of this little light even at that power is very restricted. Oh yes, it will serve to illuminate a big room well, but when tested at the 26 yards distance where I have my deer and bear it was just as the poor results that I got before with the Jet beam, so you can check that post if you are curious about the amount of light reaching there. For that long distance you just need a bigger reflector of a bigger flashlight. My PR Turbo head by McGizmo running two Lithium Ion 123’s is much more efficient in putting illumination in the 26 yard spot just because the Pelican reflector of 32 mm is so much more efficient in canalizing the light. So, a long distance light it is not, but all the other common chores can be handled very easily with the new Fenix L1D light. The battery will last a long time on the nine lumen mode (25 hours) and will probably be my choice for hanging from the ceiling of the tent all night long, in replacement of the CMG LED that I was using until now. I paid $52 USD for the light and I consider the cost a bargain. With one in my pocket I just need two or three more powerful lights to cover all lightning situations that I can possible think of; for example, I will use a 200 lumen light in my belt for animal control (in the wild and in the street- and I mean two and four-legged animals) this could be a Surefire Centurion III with the optional P-91 lamp, or even better the rechargeable Bear Cub 220 lumen 90 minutes run time. For my truck or cars, I am never too far away from a Borealis flashlight, 1050 lumens and 50 minute run time, the most powerful flashlight in the world with the power of a two million candlepower spotlight. With that I am in control of riots, accident sites, search and rescue, and WWIII. Coming back to the Fenix L1D, yes I am very happy with this light. Hopefully it will give me even better service than the Fenix L1P and the LOP that I have been using until now -lights that are very good and I have nothing but praise for them. Respectfully Black Bear __________________ Builder of the BOREALIS 1050 lumens flashlight and www.blackbearflashlights.com E-Mail admin@blackbearflashlights.com

August 10th, 2007, 10:40 PM	#39
abeaux Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: usa Posts: 23	I recently came across a site http://atomicxun.com and ordered a few lights that I am very happy with just wanted to pass it on

August 15th, 2007, 07:14 AM	#40
black bear 84 Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: New York Posts: 157	Hi guys, I did this piece for a hiking club I belong to. I thought you guys could be interested. Just please forgive the hiking flavor. THE MOST POWERFUL FLASHLIGHTS LIGHTS FOR TRUCK OR CAR Hi guys, Yes, I know that this has nothing to do with hiking, but most of us use car or truck transportation to get to the trail head and usually carry some form of a flashlight in the vehicle. A powerful light can be a life saver in many instances, I well remember when driving up to the Adirondacks at 2 am in an empty 87 North at a point between exit 28 and 29 (North Hudson) some wild people in a truck tried to run us over into the shoulder of the road, my wife shinned a powerful light into their windshield and they desisted in the intent and actually braked hard and disappeared. Maybe they though that only police cars would have such a powerful light and that it was better to look for their kicks somewhere else; the case was that the light resolved the situation for us. Then it was the time when we used it to illuminate the scene of and accident involving a deer and a poor woman in a compact car in a dark lonely side road, where blood and the insides of the deer were everywhere and the car was inoperable. Calling by phone from New York City to a local in the Adirondacks to get our weather information I was told of a new ruse some bad guys were using to rob and hi jack cars in roads with poor traffic in the area. The information came handy a few weeks later when in Boreas road near the junction with Tahawus road we were flagged by a guy in a truck with the head lights illuminating a dead dog in the middle of the road. at the time I was using a car I had bought from my neighbor the cop, it had a PA system and blue lights mounted in the vicinity of the radiator; we stopped short, illuminated the area with the two million candlepower of a Borealis flashlight and hit the blue lights and PA system telling them over the mike to stay were they where and to show their hands. The guy in the truck jumped inside and did a burning tire escape even running over the body of the dog, while his confederate in the bushes at the side of the road had just barely time to dive head first into the bed of the truck. So I though that I will show the guys in the forums what a powerful light is since I have several of them with me. HERE IS A PICTURE OF THE LIGHTS, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Maglite 3 D, Magcharger, Ultra Stinger, Surefire M-6 Guardian, and Borealis. AND HERE A PICTURE OF THE BATTERY STICKS AND CARRIERS FROM LEFT: The 6 volts battery stick of the Magcharger, the skinny 6 volts battery stick of the Ultra Stinger, the plastic carrier for the six 123’s batteries of the Surefire M-6 and last the aluminum and Delryn 12 volts carrier of the Borealis 1050 lumens flashlight. The Maglite 3 D is the most popular light carried by almost everybody in a truck or car. The 12 ½ inches of length and the thirty one ounces of weight make also a good impact weapon for emergencies, moreover, is the affordability of the light that can be obtained almost anywhere for less than $20, and, by the way, it is a quality instrument with tight tolerances and proudly still made in the USA. So the Maglite 3 D is going to be our first test and beam shot, the light is quite waterproof to a good extend, my neighbor’s kids use one to collect coins from the bottom of the pool in a game they have. The Maglite 3 D output 39 lumens and runs on three of the popular D size alkaline batteries; it will run for an hour before the output drops to 20 lumens due to the sag that alkaline batteries exhibit under load. BEAM SHOT OF THE MAGLITE 3 D (39 LUMENS) MAG Instruments also produce a powerful rechargeable police light called the Magcharger, www.maglite.com this light is used by many police departments in the states and abroad; this light is the size and shape of a regular Maglite 3 D but with 2 rings of steel where the contacts for the charger are. This light will output 200 lumens (40,000 candlepower) and I think that the price is about $120.00 a well built quality light of 12 ½ inch and a weight of thirty one ounces, it works with a 6 volt system on a stick of Ni Cads batteries; the charger will charge the light in 12 hours and as the Ni Cad batteries sometimes acquire memory, it is necessary to discharge it full and recharge to erase the memory in the batteries after using it for a couple of weeks. BEAM SHOT OF THE MAGCHARGER (200 LUMENS) The Streamlight Ultra Stinger is the most powerful offering from Streamlight, a well known police flashlight provider, The Ultra Stinger will output 75,000 candlepower, lumens figure is 295 lumens, it also works with a 6 volt system of rechargeable Ni Cad batteries, formed in a stick, the light is very popular with many police agencies and also recharges in 12 hours. Police station across America have racks of Ultra Stingers in chargers waiting for the night shift to arrive, the light is a lightweight at 12 inches and 15 ounces, I think that the price is around $130 in the street as some lights can be bought at discount from the web. The address for Streamlight is www.streamlight.com there they have the whole line of Stingers and other police and emergency services lights. BEAM SHOT OF THE ULTRA STINGER (295 LUMENS) Our SWAT teams and Special Forces use for entry and to blind suspects a powerful military type flashlight called the Surefire M-6 Guardian. This light works with those powerful 3 volts Lithium batteries that are sometimes used in cameras, the flashlight uses six of them disposables batteries to run the light at 500 lumens for 20 minutes; after the 20 minutes you have to dump the batteries and get another six fresh batteries in the carrier, which is of not importance when the agency pay for the batteries, but to us civilians, dumping $12.00 worth of batteries after a 20 minutes run can get to be expensive. This light was until recently the most powerful in the world, and Surefire sells a good quantity of them despite the tag of $400 USD. I used one for a while in my car because it fits my glove compartment, as the light is shorter and lighter than the ones we have been discussing so far. At 8 inches 14 ounces it is quite compact, but it will make a poor strike weapon although the powerful beam of 500 lumens will blind men or animal. If you want more information on this light the address of Surefire is www.surefire.com BEAM SHOT OF THE SUREFIRE M-6 (500 LUMENS) My red rechargeable Borealis flashlight at 1050 lumens (two million candlepower) is the king of all the powerful lights and the most powerful flashlight in the world at this time. It is made on the “host” of 3D, so replacement shells are easy available and inexpensive and the owner can replace a shell that have been scratched or dented for a mere $20 if he wishes, and in only 10 minutes transfer the special parts, (some of us take pride in good looking equipment). This light is seen deployment with some members of the border patrol to illuminate the frontier in their quest for illegal immigration. The light can throw a powerful beam for hundred of yards and in a pinch it can be used as headlights or a landing light. Police officers are acquiring the Borealis to use the same way that they have been using the Maglite and Magcharger, the tremendous light output makes it ideal for accident sites and traffic stops. It uses a 12 volt system of rechargeable high current NINH batteries in a beautifully made Rolls Royce carrier, the batteries don’t have any problem with memory and the new type of batteries used in this light can be away from the charger for more than a month before it needs to be topped off, and the recharging time of the light is only 90 minutes. The run time of this light is 50 continuous minutes; it is 12 ½ inches long and weights 28 ounces. In test ran by the maker, the light was tortured and even shot with a .22 rifle without stopping emitting light. (As a video shows in the web site). The light sells for $320 shipped directly from the maker, which is www.BlackBearFlashlights.com BEAM SHOT OF THE BOREALIS (1050 LUMENS) I thought you guys will be interested to see all these lights in action, and I pointed them to a point in the fence next to the tree with the beams and camera shooting from a 35 yards distance, this is the longest distance that I have in the back yard Although you can not take them in your night hikes (because of the extra weight) any of them will make a good addition to your car or truck gear, who knows, maybe they can really help you out of a tight situation like they did for me. Respectfully Black Bear __________________ Builder of the BOREALIS 1050 lumens flashlight and www.blackbearflashlights.com E-Mail admin@blackbearflashlights.com

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