Modern EDC Flashlights

BlindMouse2of3 said:
I just saw that model last night and thought it would be a great replacement for my ace beam my daughter has now claimed. We had our company Christmas party last night it's in a dark fab shop ( funner than it sounds ) and I should have taken my new version LD22 but I find it hard to leave the house without the pd36r if I have cargo pockets. Works great on turbo for finding lost contacts and earnings 🤣.
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I use a PD36R as my bike light, and almost never on turbo. Even though it's not an Osram nor does it have a TIR or big reflector, it still has a serious hotspot and long throw. I've told people who wanted to check it out not to point it at their eyes, and some still do...and can't see sh!t for a while after. Great light, but at the upper limit of EDC pocket carry.
 
I normally keep my pd36r on 3 and love it for the 8 hour runtime. It rarely sees turbo. I'm a mechanic and carry it in my Left hip pocket all the time so I'm used to it. If it wasn't my every day light I not sure I would go that big. But since I'm used to it I feel naked without it. It's like the 5.8oz BM turret I carry in my left pocket. It's weird without it.
 
I have tried many different flashlights over the years.
Surefire CR123 - change bulbs every six hours? Are you seriously?
Fenix are good, reliable flashlights. But it seems to me that every time Fenix engineers are going to develop controls for a flashlight, they first smoke a bucket of cannabis.
Nitecore - interesting developments. But they are always a little unthought out. Problems with heat dissipation, or power consumption when turned off.
Olight - bad light, bad diodes. Although my daughter has been using their smallest headlamp, the Nova, for four years now.
D.Q.G. - minimalistic flashlights with good modes. But high power consumption.
Skilhunt - good controls and modes, there were problems with tightness.
I liked the EagleTac flashlights. Long-range models 3*18650.
But in the end I still returned to Zebralight.

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Everything about them is wonderful. Operating modes, control, energy consumption, dimensions. The Zebra 18650 is smaller in size than the Fenix AA.

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The zebra sc65c is not smaller than the AA fenix however that is not a fair comparison when considering the output. It is shorter than the E20 2xAA by 1.4" but larger diameter head and body. For me that's what I notice more than length. The 4 grams difference in weight I'd want to see on a scale but I think is a wash. The output on paper between the 2 is to close for my taste I'd like to see runtime charts. I got to believe the zebra does better than it's getting credit for. I love the ability to program the different settings if you are capable of mapping out what you want and working through the clicks. The zebra also tail stands and that is real nice but you loose the rear switch. With how much I use my light that is a bit of a deal breaker.

I'll separate this out because my only real issue with that zebra is the battery. It only uses unprotected cells. They are shorter. As a flashlight guy I know the dangers of unprotected cells but a lot of people don't and the potential for error with said battery can have unfavorable outcomes.

Having said that I would love to get my hands on one of those zebras to try.

M maxjeg is the pocket clip timeable? I love to index my clips with side buttons so I know when they are coming out of the pocket. Thank you for sharing that light I'll have to research it more.

Edit. Just saw the zebra sc53c single AA with a cri of 93. I will be adding one of those to my collection to try. I love that it looks to be designed around the Eneloop pro battery. That is excellent.
 
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BlindMouse2of3 said:
and the potential for error with said battery can have unfavorable outcomes.
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Zebra is protected against improper battery installation.

BlindMouse2of3 said:
The zebra sc65c is not smaller than the AA fenix however that is not a fair comparison when considering the output. It is shorter than the E20 2xAA by 1.4" but larger diameter head and body.
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Zebra length - 3.64, width - 0.95. The Fenix AA I used was longer.

BlindMouse2of3 said:
is the pocket clip timeable?
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I do not get the question.
The Zebra control button is recessed into the head of the flashlight. It is impossible to press it accidentally or with the help of clothing.

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The battery issue is when they are charged outside of the light. If you have multiple batteries for a light. Or multiple 18650 lights you need two types of batteries. I have many lights and many spare batteries for them.

The pocket clip question was does it turn on the body? It looks fixed in place. Some lights I turn the clip so my hand naturally falls on the button depending on what pocket the light is in.
 
Smithhammer said:
I recently picked up another Fenix PD25. It's one of my favorite inexpensive EDC lights, and I've had one for years that has never failed me. Figured it was time to have another, and the new ones have a few upgrades that are nice.
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I have an older PD25 that I use as an EDC light and it works great for that. I've searched lights and bought a lot of them for a long time and when I got the PD25 I felt like I could stop searching. I carry a larger light, PD35 or PD36R, when I know I am likely to be using the light.
 
Yes, the modern LED lights (lithium ion) will hold a charge for ever without self discharging. That's more to do with battery chemistry.

I have carried many different lights over the years and evolved as I figured things out and upgraded as I went. I started with aaa or aa streamlights. Then cr123 streamlight. Streamlight is decent stuff, not great. Plastic lenses, not very good user interface, hard to get to the button quickly, misleading advertising. Biggest drawback I found is poor light regulation.

Then I seen a fenix. So I learned more and got an 18650 fenix. A uc35 v2. Huge upgrade in all ways. First batteries are now 'free'. Use that thing as bright as you want, it recharges now and doesn't cost money. The battery charge level indicator is a huge deal, you instantly know if you have hours of use left or it's about dead. The two button user interface I love, very easy to use and also has 5 levels of bright. Everything in-between use in a movie theater dim, to light a football field up like daytime power. Then got a ld30 fenix, same benefits in a more compact package with more flood/less throw. And just got a pd35 v3.0. Same deal, different beam pattern, lots of throw and decent spill. All my fenix lights have perfectly regulated output. Meaning the brightness stays exactly the same full battery until dead. Also fenix will replace your light 4 years sand 11 months after you buy it. Their warranty is 100% legit. (Don't buy on Amazon, buy direct)

Regardless of brand the things I would look for in a light that I think are non compromises are:

-Great warranty that's actually honored.
-Perfect brightness/current regulation. If the light doesn't show a graph showing lumen output over a time period and it's not flat, it's not on the same level as the top lights that do.
-Good user interface, this is preference.
-Multiple usable output levels, Dim is as handy as very bright.
-18650 battery that can be removed to be recharged or replaced by another 18650 or 2 cr123s in an emergency. Rechargeable without the ability to swap cells means your screwed if its dead and you still need to use it.
-battery level indicator built into light, this should probably be the top on my list.


theres lots of brands out there, surefire if your rich. Fenix if you want surefire quality you can afford. A couple guys I work with use Olight and are happy with them. Streamlights more budget. Zebra lights seem to be a whole different style of user interface, ive never had one but folks seem to love them alot. The list goes on. I'd start by figuring out what exact features you want then start narrowing down models from brands that fit your needs
 
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elevator man said:
-18650 battery that can be removed to be recharged or replaced by another 18650 or 2 cr123s in an emergency. Rechargeable without the ability to swap cells means your screwed if its dead and you still need to use it.
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I agree with this. Most lights will work whether you put in a pair of CR123 or a single 18650 and you can carry as many extra batteries as you want. I have a PD36R which will allow you to switch out the batteries but the battery size is less common and I don't think there is a Lithium alternative for emergency use. I use my lights less than some people so my batteries last for several months. When I get ready to go on a trip I recharge all of them and they are good for several months until I'm preparing for another trip.
 
I carried a ReyLight Pineapple Mini in Ti and loved it, but I think the head unit died. My back-up is a Maratac AAA pocket Ti light. Very small, but powerful enough.
 
Seems like there's always something newer and better coming from most manufacturers every few months to a year. I've got other lights, but my trusty Mcgizmo has been going strong as my pocket light for years. I can always get a new engine and "modernize" it at will. Using the original AA setup with Eneloop batteries though.

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I'm still using one of those keychain lights that runs off of a coin shaped watch battery. I'd prefer to have something that takes a more standard battery but those are all less convenient to carry. Ideally I would want something the size and shape of a pen which also writes. Pocket clip would be a must. If it could write then I'd definitely pocket carry it. Running off of a single AAA battery would be nice too. Does anything like that exist?
 
Planterz said:
I use a PD36R as my bike light, and almost never on turbo. Even though it's not an Osram nor does it have a TIR or big reflector, it still has a serious hotspot and long throw. I've told people who wanted to check it out not to point it at their eyes, and some still do...and can't see sh!t for a while after. Great light, but at the upper limit of EDC pocket carry.
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I can vouch for the PD36R. Been using one for a “glove box flashlight” in my camping rig for at least two years (maybe three). It’s never failed me and is plugged into a charging port so it gets a charge every time the rig is on shore power.

Fenix is an awesome brand if a fella wants good quality and a reasonable price.
 
Guy McVer said:
I'm still using one of those keychain lights that runs off of a coin shaped watch battery. I'd prefer to have something that takes a more standard battery but those are all less convenient to carry. Ideally I would want something the size and shape of a pen which also writes. Pocket clip would be a must. If it could write then I'd definitely pocket carry it. Running off of a single AAA battery would be nice too. Does anything like that exist?
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First aid torches you use to check for concussions
 
I've carried a Streamlight Microstream for close to 20 years (+/-)? I've bought multiple for myself/family.

I prefer the single AAA model - but for those set on rechargeable, there is the Streamlight Microstream USB.

Long story, but just got a new one in the mail/opened it today.

Here it is with me normal pockette pals (spared ye the Carmex tube - though it's always in there as well...):

 
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