Best Spotlight on the market?

[petey]

I go through at least 1 spotlight a year. I think the main reason is we spot in temps ranging from 70-0 degrees. On those cold nights bringing a cold lamp into a hot vehicle normally will blow the halogen bulb.

2 years ago my wife bought me a cheap light, that turned out to be the best one I owned. The problem is I can't find the "older" model anywhere. They've revamped the model and now it looks more like a can.

It was an older Optronics 1 Million CP and it put any 2+ Million CP light on the market to shame. I think the key was in the style of the light. It wasn't your typical "can-looking" light you see that shoots a straight beam. It had a big face with a concave interior which projected a larger beam that seemed to spot even the farthest of fields. I found a replacement bulb over theweekend and replaced it, and now I can get about 90-100 yards with it. This thing used to shine 200-250 yards easily. I'd like to find another if I can, but I'm at my wits end on it. I've yet to find a "can-looking" light that can even come close to the range this thing had.

So here I am asking the rest of you spotlighting gurus. I realize that many states don't even allow it, but those that do...what's the best make/model you've found and where did you buy it?

I really don't want a rechargable, b/c they are heavy and seeing as how some nights I spend 2 or more hours with my arm out the window, I like a lightweight model (which the old Optronics was). Seems like all the can type models shoot more of a beam than flood/beam. I'm also looking at lights that may be easy to get replacement parts. Since I go through at least 1 bulb a year, I'd like to buy an extra bulb or two if I find a good one.

[Steverino]

Several years ago Petey, I used to do quite a bit of night fishing around my area because of the daytime fishing pressure so I bought a portable spot light to help me navigate on those early mornings when fog would roll in and or visibilty deteriorated around the loading ramp.

I bought a Brinkman 1 Million CP light that had the car accessory adapter plug along with a standard 110 plug. I never used it to shine a field but that sucker could sure throw out the light and it had a narrow beam option that was incredible. What I really liked about it was it's durability. I stored it in one of my bassboat dry storage compartments and used to fish in some nasty Midwest weather that would routinely have my boat out of the water more than in it (I replaced my windshield one season three times-the gal at the Ranger factory in Flippin, Arkansas knew my name "Another windshield Steve?")

I sold it along with the boat and a host of other accessories back in 2000 but that was a good spotlight. If memory serves correctly, I believe that I purchased it at Sears. Good luck!