Lights For Hunting

[watchmaker]

LIGHTS FOR HUNTING

Hi guys,
I have a bunch of lights and this idea of taking beam shots, so members can see how they perform against each other.
Stop me if the subject is too boring.


This post will try to show how different lights used for hunting compare with each other, and will clarify the difference between the lumen ratings used in Luxeon (LED) lights and incandescent lights.
In short, I will show (through pictures) how Luxeons lack definition when used at increased distances.

I have maintained for a long time that LED Luxeons don’t have the range over the incandescent to really be helpful for general hunting. They are excellent lights to use inside the house; their beams are very clean, white and with substantial flood, and in the average house, that is all you need. However, when taken outside to the backyard, woods, or large structure and the distance to the target is 25 yards or more, they lack definition (as they lack the red spectrum of light), and their poor penetration of fog or rain makes them inefficient to clearly identify what you are seeing at that distance.
Moreover, when the subject being illuminated is an animal with a light-drinking fur (depth of texture), the blending effect of the LED’s (against the background) will cause the observer to lose perspective.


LOW LIGHT FOR WALKING IN THE WOODS


Hunters that have used the Fenix LOP (1 AAA) consider this light ideal (except for the lack of a clip). Another favorite is the ARC AAA. These lights can be held in the mouth without any discomfort.

Fenix has put out a bigger light (1 AA) with two stages output, and the lower output will be also ideal for projecting a soft LED beam that will aid in walking the woods in the pre-dawn blackness when going toward your stand, (perhaps following a trail of cat-eyes) at this time, it is necessary not to pollute the area with more light than what is absolutely needed.
Some hunters that know the terrain well, prefer to use a red filter over the light, as is well known that deer and others animals cannot see red light.


THE BELT LIGHT

Those same hunters want to have a good light on their belt. Some prefer the two cell 123’s lights like the Surefire 6P, G2, or C-2 for their better flood beam over the more tightly focused Streamlight Scorpion, TL-2 and Night Fighter II.
They look for a run time of one hour and an output of 65 lumens.
Some opt for more intense lights like the Surefire 9P or the C-3 with their 105 lumens and one hour run time.
The Streamlight TL-3 is a little too tightly focused for a belt light but it will do fine at the longer distances were the bigger lights shine.
In LED form (Luxeon V), the Surefire L-4 is a good contender due to the excellent flood light that it puts out at medium range, however it lacks the throw needed for more distance illumination.

The main thing is that the hunters want to avoid losing precious seconds by panning a light when in the woods. That is why the Surefires are preferred over the tightly focused others brands, because they have special reflectors that diffuse the light into a bigger flood pattern.


THE CAR LIGHT

Some hunters wear a light holder in their belt (a plastic and leather ring). On exiting their cars, they slip in the ring one of the powerful rechargeable lights, most commonly the Magcharger (200 lumens) or the Ultra Stinger (295 lumens) and some even a Borealis 1050 lumens mega light.

Those are ideal lights for search for wounded game, search and rescue of lost partner, signaling at long distances and using them as spotlights after the hunt. Being rechargeable, they are always used with a maximum run time (taken out of the charger at start of the day, a thing that you can not do with 123 batteries unless you are willing to dump half-used batteries at the start of every day of hunting.

Their large diameter (2 inches) reflectors put more light at a longer distance than any of the belt lights. Even though some of the belt lights approach 200 lumens, they do it with reduced run time and much reduced throw, due to their small diameter reflectors.
A Magcharger will put a spot of light at 150 yards, as will the Ultra Stinger and a Borealis has the capability of illuminating the whole road for 250 yards.


Lets start with the popular Surefire G-2 (or 6 P) at 65 lumens, the target is the 8 by 12 tool shed at 30 yards.
We are going to pit the Surefire G-2 65 lumens $35.00 against the Surefire Digital Lumamax L-4 (also 65 lumens and with a price tag of $160.00).

Surefire G-2 65 lumens

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/Gtwo65lumens.jpg

Surefire L-4 Luxeon V, LED, 65 lumens

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/elefour65lumens.jpg

And now we are going to pit the Surefire 6 P with the P-61 120 lumen lamp (20 minutes run time) against the best Luxeon LED thrower that I have (similar to the cree LED).
This is a Mc Gizmo PR T head with a TWOJ bin Luxeon doing 120 plus lumens.

Surefire Centurion C-2 (same as the 6P) with the P-61 lamp, 120 lumens.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/centuriontwoP-61120lumens.jpg

And the PR T with TWOJ bin Luxeon, (LED) @ 120 lumens

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/TWOJbin120lumens.jpg

And now we are going to show a belt light of 200 lumens (The Surefire Centurion III with the P-91 lamp, 200 lumens, 20 minutes run) and three cars' lights of 200 lumens plus and beyond.

Surefire Centurion C-III, 200 lumens P-91 lamp.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/Centurion3200lumensP-91.jpg

And here the Magcharger also 200 lumens, with its bigger reflector and tighter focus will throw the light at 150 yards, while the Centurion III range will stop at 45 or 50 yards.

Magcharger 200 lumens (40,000 candlepowers)


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/Magcharger200lu.jpg


And here is the Ultra Stinger, the most powerful of the rechargeable from Streamlight with 295 lumens and 75,000 candlepower.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/USTINGER.jpg

And now the BOREALIS, the light that has the format of a 3 D (12 1/2 inches long) outputting 1050 lumens for 50 minutes.
This is similar to a two million candlepower spotlight

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/boREALIS1000plus.jpg



As I have over 200 lights that I have used at one time or another in my hunting expeditions, I am well familiarized with distinct situations that call for different lights and method of using them.
I have encountered a new one lately, that calls for following a wounded wild boar at night with a powerful pistol like the S&W 500 or a 454 Casull and also a powerful light in the order of a Surefire M-6 (500 lumens) or a Borealis 1050 lumens.
For myself, I cannot think of another pursuit that could be more dangerous to life and limb, although I have a lot of respect for the young athletes that have tried it, I consider it too “Extreme” for my good health.

Hope I can do some more talking to the members about my second hobby after knife collecting, which is of course hunting at night and light usage.

Respectfully
Watchmaker

[watchmaker]

MORE LIGHTS FOR HUNTING

As a continuation of the first post and for whatever value it has, I am going to do some more shoot outs of a mix of popular Luxeon lights and incandescent ones.

The first order of things is to change the target area, to make it a little more interesting to my viewers.
Consequently I replaced the tool shed target with a deer and bear mount.
The deer head mounted on the tree is exactly 26 yards from my second story window from where the lights are shinning.
The bear head in the fence is only six more feet further away from the tree.

In the summer I have plenty of bushy cover in the area, but this time I had to be creative and cut and nailed to the tree and fence, some branches from a pine tree, not to hide the animals from view, just to provide a natural blending effect, like they were coming from a natural habitat.

The camera was placed twelve foot away from the tree (and eighteen feet from the bear) in a solid tripod, and the night camera mode used (this mode shows in pictures the same light values that I am seeing with my own eyes).

The close proximity of the camera is for the viewer to see the target with clarity; if I were to place the camera 26 yards away the target will be awfully small.

Here it is the target area and how it looks in daylight.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/deerdaypicture.jpg



And here are the contenders, but before I describe them, let me voice my opinion that some manufacturers of Luxeon lights label the output in lumens in quite a wild way.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/ledInc.jpg




From left to right: # 1 Fenix L1P at about 40 lumens, # 2 Nuwaii Q III at 75 lumens (yes, sure!) # 3 Surefire L-4 Digital Lumamax at 65 lumens (this is a Luxeon V which is quite a flood light but with little throw).

# 4 Streamlight Task-Light 2 L (two Lithium 3 volts batteries, high and low output,
Cost is about $77.00) This is billed at a High Flux Luxeon III. With 75 lumens, which I think is about right.

# 5 is the Streamlight Pro Polymer 4 AA with a Luxeon I, billed as 40 lumens (3,500 candlepower according to the advertising) which I think is quite wrong, as it appears to me to have about 70 lumens or more, this light has a bigger and deeper reflector than the others lights and the beam is concentrated more than the others. This is a great light for the price of about $40.00

# 6, this is a PR T Luxeon III head done for me by master modder McGizmo, it is set on a Surefire E2e body and I am using two rechargeable 123’s with a voltage of 4.2 volts in it.
This light is my best Luxeon III light and up to two years ago it was pretty HOT STUFF, today the cree LED’s are approaching it in intensity, although it has not been overpower by any other Luxeon, yet.
My friends told me I have two of the Integrated Sphere Spectotometers just above my nose, those spheres are telling me that this light makes 120 to 130 “real” lumens.

# 7, this is A Surefire Centurion II in black with the P-60 lamp (65 lumens) this represents all the others Surefires lights that use this lamp, G-2, 6P. Z-2. etc.

# 8, this is another Surefire Centurion II, but in Hard anodized, it wears the HOLA lamp. The P-61 with the output of 120 lumens for 20 minutes.

# 9 this is a Surefire Centurion III (3 cells) this is usually sold with the P-90 lamp that makes 105 lumens for one hour, but in this case is set up with the P-91 lamp for 200 lumens for 20 minutes, as you will see in the picture later, the floodlight effect is great at 26 yards. All those P’s lamps start to lose range at about 45 to 50 yards, this is because the reflectors are fabricated to produce a good flood so police officers can clear houses with them.
I took this particular light out of my Remington 742 rifle, where it sits in the special quick detach mount in a Picattiny rail.

# 10, this is the BEAR CUB, this light weights 13 oz and measures 9 inches long, it works with two Lithium Ion computer batteries, and produces 220 plus lumens for 90 minutes. Thanks to the big and deep 2 inch mirror-like reflector, this light concentrates the beam like a laser and has a throw of 120 to 150 yards.
So the 26 yards distance is like child play for the Bear Cub and the light is so intense at the target that they had to close their eyes!

# 11, (last on the left lying in horizontal position next to the Bear Cub) this light is a KL-1 head Luxeon I of three years ago, it is set up in a Surefire Outdoorsman body and the lumens output is no more than 20, consequently I decided to strike it out from the competition, there is no room in my stable for weaklings and I will present it to my nephew on his birthday quite soon.

And now let’s go to the pictures:

Fenix L1P (40 lumens) Luxeon I

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/l1pfeni.jpg

Nuwaii Q III (advertised at 75 lumens in a website, which I don’t believe) Luxeon III.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/nuwaii.jpg


Surefire L-4 Digital Lumamax (65 lumens) this is very flood light and the lumens spread in a very wide area, so it cannot be expected to have a good throw at 26 yards. (Luxeon V ~which are 4 of the one watt together)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/l-4sure.jpg


Streamlight Task Light 2 L about 75 lumens on high, works on two 123’s batteries and has two levels of illumination. High Flux Luxeon III. About $77.00

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/tasklight75.jpg

Streamlight Poly Pro 4 AA Luxeon. This light has a deep and bigger reflector, the Luxeon is I, according to the manufacturer, is listed at 40 lumens, but to my eyes is doing about 75 lumens.
For the price of $40.00 this is a great light, and very battery friendly as it uses regulars AA.
I feed this light, rechargeable Nimhs AA of high current (Powerex 2700 mah) that hovers around 1.4 volts for weeks consequently it costs me nothing to operate it.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/4aaluxeon1.jpg


Mc Gizmo PR T head on Surefire body, Luxeon III, TWOJ bin,
My best Luxeon light putting out 120 to 130 lumens. This is a collector’s item and was state of the art, less than two years ago.
I have found nothing new that can approach its power, except the new cree 7090 that is getting close.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/prt120lu.jpg

Surefire Centurion II in black with the P-60 lamp (65 lumens for one hour)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/c-265lu.jpg



Surefire Centurion II in Hard anodized with the P-61 lamp (120 lumens for 20 minutes)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/c-2ha120lu.jpg

Surefire Centurion III in hard anodized, with the P-91 lamp (200 lumens for 20 minutes) as you can see it is a great flood at 26 yards.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/c-3200lu.jpg


BEAR CUB running for 90 minutes on two computer Lithium Ion batteries, driving a Xenon Magnum Star bulb for 5 cells pretty hard at 8.4 volts at 220 lumens (which make it a very white light) with a reach of 120 to 150 yards, even surpassing the Ultra Stinger.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/bearcu220luplus.jpg

Best regards
Watchmaker

[watchmaker]

THE SUREFIRE E2E
here is one more:
As the Surefire E2e is a very common light in the bow hunting and gun hunting scene and also for law enforcement, here it is.


The little MN03 lamp (60 lumens for 75 minutes) in the E2e is a big performer, I like myself this little light a lot, and I think it qualifies as a tactical light to be used at close to medium range if the need arose.
The MN02 lamp can be substituted for more run time, as it is 25 lumens for 2 1/2 hours, I actually prefer this lamp for hiking in the trails and other general chores, but I will use the 60 lumens lamp for blood trailing a deer or bear.

Red, blue and infrared filters are available from Surefire and vendors such as Cabela's. The red is used to walk in the trails or follow the cat-eye tacks when you go toward the stand in the pre-dawn darkness and don’t want to pollute the woods with light, and the blue to bring up the blood drops in the leaves.

The E2e is 4 1/2 inches long and weighs at 3 .1 oz., is available in hard anodized type III and will not scratch easily, but it can be rough on your pocket liner. Other finishes are available sometimes. A tear drop bezel model is done in nickel plated and the wine light in regular anodized with a wine burgundy color.

Here is a picture of a few of the versions of the E2e.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/E2eseries.jpg



And here is the beam shot at the same distance as the others above (26 yards) and the camera placed at the same distance (12 feet to the Deer head and 18 to the Bear head).


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/SurE2ebeam.jpg

I can tell you that the light is fairly waterproof. I don’t have a pool to try it at a few feet, but it survived quite well in my 3 ½ gallon beer glass for several hours.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/etwoagua.jpg

Kind regards,
Watchmaker

[Dom]

Wow Watchmaker, great job and thanks for the information, I appreciate the time and testing you have done. I'll have to check out that Bear Cub light, quite impressive. I also do a lot of night hunting, for Wild Boar, European style, and just use a simple AA Mini Mag with red lens to go to & from stand. I've got a Surefire G2Z in my pocket for those times when I want to go looking at the spot of the shot, and then, depending on what I find and terrain will determine if I look further in the dark, that plus the size of the Boar I shot at. One thing that is kind of eery is 'stumbling' by yourself through the briars and woods with not enough light after a possibly wounded boar -- and he's not scared of you either, so I appreciated your rundown, Waidmannsheil, Dom.

[watchmaker]

Thank you Dom, is good to be appreciate by somebody that uses lights the way it should be used.
Here are two tracking lights and my thoughts on the subject.

TWO, BLOOD TRACKING LIGHTS
BEAR CUB 220 LUMENS AND SUREFIRE M-4, 225 LUMENS

Hi guys,
I am the official tracker for our little group of seven bow hunters. Because of the small patch of private woods that we have for hunting, and to preserve the unpolluted area, all tracking is done only after dark when the hunt is over.
Our rules are that no more than two persons will retrieve the deer; this is to keep the woods as free of human odor as possible, not to spoil our chances for the next morning hunt.

I have had a lot of experience with blood tracking lights, since my father first taught me how to do it with the old gas Coleman lantern.
One thing that the old timers had right was the need for intense WHITE light. As time change, there was not need anymore to go back to the truck for the old lantern; the new crop of intense white light pioneered by the tactical lights used for SWAT and Special Forces can do the job of making that blood trail as clear as during the day.

At this point, a word about the blue lights now in use for this task, and is that in many situations they are completely useless, as I learned when I tested one of them by following a wounded bear in the Maine woods in late August. The black drop of blood blended so well with the dark green vegetation of the Maine woods, that it was impossible to track it using that light.
BLUE LIGHT


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/bluefilter.jpg

WHITE LIGHT

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/whitelight.jpg


I am a flashaholic, a disease that is kept in check only by buying and using lights, as I own more than two hundred of them; I am well aware what is good and for what purpose. That is why I am telling my readers that for blood tracking you need a very intense white light of not less than 200 lumens.
That figure rules out LED lights, not only they don’t make the grade in lumens output, they are poor penetrators in fog and are poor distance throwers.
Enter high output incandescent lights with good throw.
Not many of them out there, Surefire for sure was the pioneer with the M-4 and the M-6 lights; the M-6 with the 350 lumens lamp can run for 60 minutes, but it uses six of the expensive 123’s batteries, costing $12 per hour run. The M-4 with the 225 lumens lamp is what I have used for years with satisfaction, except for the cost of $8 per hour, as some tracking jobs sometimes took more than 60 minutes.

THE SUREFIRE M-4 AND THE RECHARGEABLE BEAR CUB

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/bloodlights.jpg


The M-4 is 9 inches long and quite light in weight, it have a stippled reflector that diffuses the light into a flood, which in my opinion is more flood than it is needed, I would like to see this light marketed with a smooth reflector for more useable throw, as sometimes the wounded deer circle back toward the open fields, and to spot one lying dead in the middle of the field more throw is needed.
For more about the Surefire M-4 ($330) contact Surefire at www.surefire.com

BEAMSHOTS FROM 26 YARDS, CAMERA AT 12 FEET FROM DEER

BEAMSHOT OF THE SUREFIRE M-4

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/emecuatro-1.jpg


The rechargeable Bear Cub is made by Black Bear Flashlights; it uses two state of the art Lithium Ion rechargeable batteries for 90 minutes run time outputting 220 lumens. This light is made
using the “host” of a maglite 2 C, which means than after years of hard use when the light is scratched or dented, you can renew it just by buying a new “host” for about $14.00.
The light is also 9 inches long, it has a smooth reflector that concentrates the beam and shoots it a long way, no problem with this light in spotting a dead deer in the middle of the field. The light is sold with a Li Ion charger that will charge the batteries in 3 ½ hours, so it is no problem to have it ready for the next morning, fully charged. These batteries last for 1,000 recharges so you have 1500 hours of use before needing another set of batteries. Before the M-4 can run for 1500 hours it will have spend $12,000 in batteries!
Extra lightweight Lithium Ion rechargeable batteries cost $30 per pair, so carrying an extra pair in a pocket will give you another 90 minutes of white intense tracking light.
When these lights are not used for tracking they make a formidable tactical light for home defense, with the capability of momentarily blinding an opponent.
The Bear Cub is available from the maker for $130 shipped, for more about this light contact www.BlackBearFlashlights.com

BEAMSHOT OF THE BEAR CUB


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/osopeqeno.jpg


Both of these lights will beat handily a 250,000 lumens spotlight; they are very convenient to carry in a pack or fanny-pack or even a large pocket. I use a red light to enter the woods without polluting them with light; I make a habit of always carrying my Bear Cub in my pack, ready for the most important chore of the hunting season, the retrieval of a wounded deer. I think that is our obligation to the game to make our best efforts to retrieve the deer we shoot, the use of the proper tool for tracking blood is imperative to aid in such efforts.

All the best

Watchmaker

[watchmaker]

THE BOREALIS FLASHLIGHT
1050 LUMENS

Three years ago the Borealis flashlight was conceived to be the most powerful military/police flashlight in the world. At 1050 lumens the beam of light is very similar to a two million candlepower spotlight, all that power cased in a 12 ½ inches long, 28 oz. light, that will run for 50 minutes before needing a recharge. Then the light uses a fast RC charger that does the job of recharging the high current batteries in 90 minutes.

Three years ago everybody was in awe of the Surefire M-6, a military/police light that makes 500 lumens for 20 minutes run time on six disposable 123’s batteries, at a cost of almost $12 per twenty minutes run.
When the agency pays for the batteries, all is well, but for the civilians that wanted to have those mega lumens of light, there was no option. Black Bear Flashlights wanted to produce a rechargeable light that surpassed the M-6 and still be affordable for those with mortgages and families, and the result was the Borealis 1050 lumens flashlight.

The light was conceived to make use of a well known flashlight shell that is available anywhere, that way after years of hard use, the shell can be replaced for less than $20 USD and in ten minutes of the owner’s time.
The super-bulb that is almost 3 ½ amps needs some very powerful batteries; those nine AA batteries of high current are housed inside a Rolls Royce battery carrier that has also a charging port on the negative side. Plugging the RC fast charger in this port for 90 minutes, will recharge the powerful AA Nimh batteries.

THE ROLLS ROYCE BATTERY CARRIER AND THE RC FAST CHARGER

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/bbcharger.jpg



The Borealis also has some especial components to cope with the increased heat from the bulb. A ceramic switch/bulb holder, a solid aluminum reflector and a Pyrex lens, take care of the high temperature issue.


The BOREALIS is the highest intensity incandescent flashlight available in the market. Some HID’s lights throw more lumens, but those are considered searchlights and not flashlights; as a HID can take as much as 30 seconds to start up, they are NOT instantaneous as the incandescent flashlights are.

HERE ARE SOME COMPARISON BEAM SHOTS AT 35 YARDS WITH THE MOST POWERFUL MILITARY/POLICE FLASHLIGHTS.
THE CONTENDERS FROM LEFT;
MAGLITE 3 D, MAGCHARGER, ULTRA STINGER, SUREFIRE M-6, AND BOREALIS

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/contenderslig.jpg


MAGLITE 3 D (the most popular police flashlight)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/tresd.jpg


MAGCHARGER

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/magchagerr.jpg


ULTRA STINGER

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/ultra.jpg


SUREFIRE M-6

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/suremesixli.jpg


BOREALIS RECHARGEABLE


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/borealisluz.jpg





Black Bear Flashlights spends several hours on each light working on fixing all the internal resistance issues and pro-gold all contacts and components for an increased conductivity. This results in their trademark of intense WHITE light as more voltage reaches the super-bulb. This bulb is not a flashlight bulb, but one made for powerful medical instruments.

THE BOREALIS ROYAL MODEL, WITH THE NEW LOW PROFILE STAINLESS STEEL CRENELLATED BEZEL AND QUICK DETACH SWIVEL.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/borealisroyalbox.jpg


Police officers have adopted the Borealis for its tremendous throw and flood capabilities; hunters have abandoned their spotlights for the easy carrying of the Borealis, and civilians looking for a powerful light for the car or for home defense are flocking to the Borealis flashlight.
Respectfully

Watchmaker

[watchmaker]

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO MY FRIENDS AND FORUM STAFF


WATCHMAKER

[watchmaker]

ULTRA FIRE FMR1 REBEL LUXEON
200 LUMENS
ONE CR 123 A BATTERY

I bought this light from Deal Extreme for $23.24 shipped. I was very curious to try one of the Rebel 200 lumen new Luxeons and I think this is the best way to try one inexpensively.

The light has a click on, click off switch and five modes of intensities. The low mode is 30 lumens and is said to last for 24 hours. Another is 100 lumens for six hours, and the 200 lumens mode is three hours; then you have a strobe mode and an SOS mode.

I used a new Battery Station 123 and in the high 200 mode it lasted for ½ an hour, and it gets hot very quick. I don’t know if the poor run time is the fault of the battery that was under-charged, or if the light will perform the same with others 123’s, but that is the results I got.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/ultrf.jpg


Due to the small head, the flood effect is quite pronounced and the throw is poor for a 200 lumen light, but I was expecting it to be that way based on experience with other small headed keychain-type lights.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/rebelled.jpg


Two hundred lumens in a two inch head of an incandescent will put a level of illumination that is tremendous in comparison to the small head of the Rebel 200 lumens. So we are in a time when we can no longer make an assessment based on the lumens figure, that is when the comparison pictures that I have been taken show the value, as the viewer can see for himself how the different lights with the same value in lumens output perform in real life.

If I consider the low price I like the little light in general, excepting the side switch that can be a little hard to find in a rush, as it is kind of recessed in the head of the light and difficult to find by feel alone. I will have preferred a tail switch such as I have in my Fenix L1D, but it is a tremendous price difference between the two lights, so all things considered I think that the Ultra fire is a great value, and I can put up with the side switch.

After trying to like the clip for a couple of weeks, I ended throwing it away, it is too flimsy and I will not trust it to keep the light in my pocket. The light is regular anodized, but had stood well the use in my pocket with keys and coins.

Here is my usual 26-yard beam shot against my deer head with the Ultra Fire 200 lumens

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/ultrafire200.jpg


And here is a beam shot with the 220 lumens Bear Cub rechargeable that sport a two inch head and have a range of 150 yards.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/bearpeqenobeam.jpg


All the best,
Watchmaker

[watchmaker]

STREAMLIGHT TWIN TASK 2 L

It is easy for me to do an objective review of this light. I have been using a couple of them for two years, quite often (not exclusively because I own other lights also for everyday use).

The light has performed extremely well for me. The Twin Task uses for power two lithium 3 volts, 123 batteries, and it have two light sources, one xenon bulb of 72 lumens and three Nichia 5mm LED’s of about 7 lumens each.
The LED mode will last for 28 hours (I have to take the word of the manufacturer for this, because I haven’t done a run time that long). And the Xenon bulb’s run time will last for 2 ½ hours.
The light is quite comfortable in the hand and similar to others 123’s lights, measuring 1.34” wide and 5.43“ long, and weighing at 3.37 oz.

Due to the micro-faceted reflector, the flood with the three LED’s or the Xenon bulb is ample. If you don’t have to illuminate things at a distance the light is useful for chores inside the house or in the campsite or trail.
I have used it mostly with the three LED’s and I have come to believe the run time of 28 hours claimed by the manufacturer because after two years of sporadic use the light is still going in the same battery set.

The switch is on top of the head, as this is not a “tactical” light I found the switch convenient, so does my wife, that have the same model but in Titanium finish.
The focus is adjustable, but even in the tight setting the light have a lot of flood. I have lend my second light to my hunting pal Frank, that left it on the three stand for a week, on returning the light it was just the same in finish having weathered the week without any mark or discoloration. So, I didn’t have any problem dunking it for a couple of hours in a big glass of water to see if it really was waterproof, and yes, it was, so far at this depth.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/twintaskagua.jpg

The beam shot at 26 yards using the xenon bulb doesn’t look impressive at all, and that is because the reflector is designed for extreme flood, but that is okay, this light is mostly for using indoors, walking the dog or for hiking a trail at the most.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/twintks.jpg


In this picture one of my Twin Task have a Velcro tape, this match with the Velcro in my baseball cap, and allow me to have my hands free for doing any chores while directing the illumination where I am looking.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/twintask.jpg

The street price is about $32 USD and I think that it is quite reasonable for the quality of the product, based on my experience with it I can recommend it highly.

Best regards
Watchmaker

[GoodOlBoy]

Ya know its about scary how thurough you are on testing the flashlights. I just picked up a couple of garritys over Christmas.

A K009 aluminum LED light ( http://www.garritylites.com/page45.html )and a little K035 ( http://www.garritylites.com/page68.html ) mini led with a rubberized housing to go in with my gun gear.

Dunno how they compare but there ya are.


GoodOlBoy

[skeet]

The best light for hunting is either the truck headlights or a nice big ol 2 million candle power spotlight. Makes 'em stand right out so ya can shoot 'em a lot easier!!:D :D :eek: Heck I was using one of my ol spotlights huntin coons and when I shined the light up in a big ol dead tree..It started a fire in the dead limbs. Them things git HOT!!:rolleyes: :D

[GoodOlBoy]

Once upon a time I had a UK sunlight SL4 divelight I used for hunting and tracking. Gonna hafta break down an get another one. It is only waterproof to 500 feet, and sometimes I walk a mile in a creek, but its better than nuttin :D

My old one got the old "death by loan" treatment. IE I loaned it out and when it come back it was full of week old water (its a diverlight so I don't know what this guy was doing with it) and it had just ruint it.

GoodOlBoy

[BILLY D.]

Hey skeet, you'd had loved the one we had on our Gunship. 2 million CP and when we turned it on the Army guys on the ground could read a newspaper if they wanted. We flew our Troops in Contact (TIC) missions at 4800 AGL. That was the only time we ever got to use the WHITE LIGHT. Never used the Light on truck trails. You never knew where they might have AAA Guns set up. We used nothing but Infra-red then.

It was fun watching the VC ziggy around the Jungle trying to avoid our troops. What was really fun was when we dropped a LUU which is a giant road flare and turned out the light and let go with the Mini-guns. Music to my ears. The Army guys liked it too.


Bill

[watchmaker]

You guys talking about powerful two million candlepower lights, get me nostalgic.

I like BIG candlepower.

This one is 1 1/2 million candlepower, all in a size of 10" and 23 oz.


THE BLACK BEAR 720 LUMENS
RECHARGEABLE FLASHLIGHT

The Black Bear 720 lumens flashlight is 10 inch long and weights 23 oz. It has all the same high quality state of the art components as its bigger sister the Borealis 1050 lumens.

The Black Bear is made on the “host” of the Maglite 2 D., which is one of the advantages of the Black Bear System, as when after hard use, if the light is scratched or dented, a new host can be replaced inexpensively available almost anywhere, and the transfer of parts takes only ten minutes of the owner’s time.

The only difference between the Borealis and the Black Bear 720 (beside the shorter length) is in the shorter Rolls Royce battery carrier (for six batteries) and the reduced voltage super-bulbs.
The light has a 40 minutes run time and outputs an incredible 720 lumens, all this with rechargeable Nimh in the Rolls Royce battery carrier. This unit plugs into the charger for a 4 ½ hours charge.

THE BLACK BEAR 720, ROLLS ROYCE BATTERY CARRIER AND CHARGER

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/BlackB720.jpg


It is almost impossible to talk about the Black Bear 720 without mention its closest competition, the Surefire M-6.
The Surefire M-6 is well known in the tactical circles as the light used by SWAT teams and Special Forces, This light that cost close to $400, is 500 lumens for a run time of 20 minutes, running on six disposable 123 batteries, yes that is right! it uses six batteries, a value of $12 for a 20 minutes run time.

THE BB720 IS NOT MUCH LARGER THAN THE M-6, AND IT HAS A BETTER BATTERY CARRIER

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/BB720andEmesix.jpg


Clearly, the Black Bear 720 lumens is a better value as the batteries are rechargeable, with a life of 1.000 recharges and the run time is of 40 minutes.
When the BB 720 needs new batteries after 666 hours of running, a new set costs only $30.
While the M-6 has only one choice in reflector finish, the light stippled, the BB720 has a choice of four reflector finish, to customize the light to your work. Wildlife officers doing deer census in the field will want the long throw capabilities of the Smooth (mirror finish) reflector, same as firefighters that need to punch a hole in the smoke. Others can use the Orange Peel for a little more flood, and the law enforcement officers will like the capabilities of illuminating an entire warehouse with the extra flood provided by the Light Stippled and Medium Stippled reflectors.



None of the other incandescent flashlights used for military/police work will get near the lumens output of the BB720, the Magcharger is 200 lumens and the most powerful of the Streamlights, the Ultra Stinger, is 295 lumens.
The shorter size of the Black Bear 720 makes it a natural to store in the car, inside the glove compartment, and it is not too heavy to be carried in a trench coat or overcoat pocket and the power in lumens compares to a car’s headlights or to a one and a half million candlepower spotlight, really an amazing performance for a light of this size.

Surefire M-6

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/suremesixli.jpg

Black Bear 720

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/720bbtres15.jpg


Like its bigger sister the Borealis 1050 lumens, (12 ½ inches 28 oz.), the BB720 is hand made one by one on a semi-custom basis, using state of the art components and lots of hand labor to reduce internal resistance to make the white light that is the trademark of the Black Bear Flashlights.
Regards

Watchmaker

[watchmaker]

VERY INTERESTING ARTICLE BY JAMES MAURER
ON THE BRIGHTEST LIGHTS IN THE WORLD
THAT YOU CAN GET OVER THE COUNTER.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v111/blackbear11784/beast.jpg


THEY ARE ALL THERE
THE TORCH, THE POLARION, THE BOREALIS,
THE SUNFORCE, ETC.

READ IT IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN LIGHTS

http://www.jamesmaurer.com/worlds-brightest-flashlight.asp

CHEERS