Rechargeable handheld LED spotlight

[Training Wheels]

All good information, thank you guys!

[CarinaPDX]

No offense intended. I have been buying LED lights for many years (more than 10 but I've lost track) and I have learned to be critical. As I have said earlier I gave out flashlights that cost me just $6.50 US including battery and charger, and they were almost as good as $60 flashlights - a great buy. My concern is value for money, not who can buy the most expensive flashlight. In the US market Nitecore offer leading edge products at competitive prices in the high end market. Most of my flashlights are mid- to low-end products because they are good enough, but I do enjoy a couple of high end ones.

For a pocketable light the MH20GT or possibly MH23 would be a better comparison than the MH40GT. Most of my flashlights use a single 18650, and are about the same size as the AGX, but I now find it preferable to either go physically smaller for a more pocketable light (same output) or stay at about the same size with either 2 x 18650 or 1 x 26650 to get longer battery life.

I was comparing US prices; I can't address the impact of high tariffs in Oz and the pricing distortions they cause, or pricing strategies of international companies. I sure as hell wouldn't pay $180 for a light that is available elsewhere for $130 either.

The AGX looks very well built but it stands out for not providing the specifications that are normally provided in pretty much all LED flashlights, even many cheap ones. It is not just the lack of model number for the LED, which is a major cost and performance indicator. There is no mention of lumens output either. Even the battery doesn't have an aH rating. Like it or not these are red flags. For all we know these flashlights could have the same Cree LED and battery that my $6.50 flashlights have. OTOH that isn't such a bad thing, just expensive. Even in Oz I would expect a lot for $130.

While I do like the Nitecore line, there are quite a few excellent competitors. I would be happy to provide other names as well - I just don't have personal experience there. My goal as much as anything is to educate as to what to look for in a purchase, and where the market is today.

Greg

[Mr B]

CarinaPDX, I bought a headlamp off the same site you mentioned in China,
30,000 lumens, with 18650 batterys and chargers, Melts Bitumen at 3 miles, $12-29 USD and free delivery,
Its some thing I have always wanted for working on my motors and in hard to get places where a work light just dont cut it,

I want value for money, Best quality for the least money,
Every thing from overseas now gets 10 % GST added onto it coming to OZ, , Thats it,
Any thing I buy has free delivery, Or I dont buy it,
Just scroll down to an item for the same price or cheaper with free delivery,

If you pay more for a torch in OZ than $30-00 your getting ripped off,
Or too lazy to search around for a good one,,
Those really fancy top of the line Led torchs with Diamonds encrusted on the outside,
Are around $25-00 AUD from OZ sellers, Fleabay.com.au,
500 to 800 metre search beam isnt some thing to laugh off, or put down,

The Green spotlight, Pictured, I bought has a range of 500 metres and a worklight on the side,Lithium inbuilt battery with all the accessorie to recharge it,
USB, !2 volt or 240 Volt,
Has a working time of 10 hours, $11-47 USD, Delivered, About $17-00 AUD, including GST, Is what I paid for it,

The Red Leds for my car and bike are an example, (pictured,) 4 sided Cree Leds, 6000 k White light were $24-00 a pair from China, Delivered, 280,000 Lumens the pair,
Dealer on the same bike forum Im on, will sell you the same Leds from Cyclops, for 180-00 Euro's.

I do have piccys comparing the Leds versus Halogen and Hids,
The Leds kill them all,
Full beam on Halogen look like candles compared to the Leds,
If they dont state the Lumens, Dont buy them,

The more expensive dont mean better quality,

[CarinaPDX]

I have two of those same headlamps, but silver instead of purple on the bezel . I use low power for working in the engine room but high is just wonderful outdoors. In fact, I rarely use any flashlight on its highest setting as that is usually uncomfortably bright and shortens the battery time too much.

For basic functionality a <$10 flashlight is more than adequate. One with the brightest Cree LEDs (XHP) can be had for under $20. But that is not to say that some of the more expensive flashlights aren't significantly "better" in some way. Whether it is worth paying for is an individual judgement. Things to look for:

LED. I've been over this a bit. In addition to output levels and efficiency there is the issue of white balance. Most LEDs are (bluish) cool white but increasingly there are neutral white and warm white options. At the high end it is possible to buy high CRI LEDs which provide truer colors.

Driver circuit. Better flashlights have thermal sensors in their drive circuits which throttles output to prevent overheating. Also the various "modes" and light levels are done here. A well-thought out switch program can make the flashlight a joy to use and conversely a poor one is awkward to use. BTW any high output LED flashlight is capable of getting warm to downright hot, being worse the smaller the flashlight. My little pocket light gets unbearably hot on high inside of a minute or two - don't buy a pocket flashlight just for its high output.

Lens. Cheap flashlights tend to have plastic lenses that scratch easily. Better flashlights have mineral glass lenses, which are clearer and shatter resistant. Some flashlights have sapphire lenses which are very scratch resistant but more brittle than mineral glass.

Battery. There is quite a range of batteries available, and most of them lie about their capacity. There are only a handful of companies that manufacture the basic (unprotected) li-ion cells, and none that I know that exceed 3500aH. These should not be used in flashlights in the unprotected state unless one likes risking a very nasty fire: they need protection circuits added. The best vendors buy quality new cells, add on the protection circuit (a tiny round circuit board that fits on the positive end) and some nice end contacts, shrink-wrapped with the logo and other info. Others buy cells from 2nd tier manufacturers or with lower capacity and finish the same. The bottom-feeders take cells from old laptop battery packs, attach protection PCBs, then shrink-wrap with counterfeit labels; too often these are included with flashlights from fly-by-night vendors. This is why I only buy batteries from known vendors.

Note on battery sizes: The basic cell sizes are defined by the 5 digit numbers I have been using. The first 2 numbers are the diameter in millimeters, the second two are the length in millimeters, and the last seems to always be 0. So an 18650 is 18mm dia. x 65mm long. Often 18650 is used where the additional length of the PCB is ignored, but should properly be 18670,18680, or even 18700. The rechargeable version of the CR1223A battery is a 16340. The larger cells that I sometimes use are 26650. All batteries with protection circuits have a conducting tape up the side of the cell with another layer of insulation, making the protected cells just a little larger on one side. Some flashlights are a tight fit for some batteries.

Reflectors. Cheap flashlights can have plastic reflectors but most will have polished metal reflectors to withstand the intense heat from high output LEDs. Sometimes the reflector will have an orange peel surface which results in more diffuse light. Others may be deeper and designed for a narrower beam.

Body. Most LED flashlights have aluminum bodies. The few plastic LED flashlights usually have metal heads to conduct away the heat. At the high end titanium or copper are available. The Ti bodies are incredibly light while the copper bodies conduct heat away better so can run on high longer or have a slightly higher output. Even cheap flashlights have incredibly good machining and the best are works of art. I have one light that has "square" threads, which are more robust and less likely to cross-thread.

Switches. Or lack thereof. Many flashlights just turn on, and select levels, with a twist of the tailcap - simple but not really that convenient. There are more lately with side switches, which I personally prefer. Most these days have a button in the tailcap which lends itself to holding the flashlight up with the thumb on the pushbutton. One can again get a bit crazy, as there are both "forward" and "reverse" clicky switches; just know that each has its advantages depending on how the levels are adjusted.

Charging. Some flashlights have charging circuits built in, and just need a mini-USB charging cable plugged into a little socket. The flashlight I keep in the car (Nitecore MH20) can be charged in the car with a phone charging cable - very convenient. Also, some have ways of indicating the charge level with a tiny LED.

Bezel. Usually the bezel is plain black anodized aluminum but many these days have a crenelated stainless bezel, in case you want to rip someone's face open.

Accessories. Holsters, clips, mounts for handlebars (or pistols), lanyards, spare o-rings - a never-ending list.

If your eyes aren't glazed over yet take a look at candlepowerforums.com...

Greg

[Mr B]

Thanks Greg for the heads up on the head lamp, That was a pig in the poke buy,
I have no idea on what it will work like, or how strong the light is,
For the price of it, I can throw it away if its not good enough,
But I have seen people wearing them and the light they put out is phenominal,
Tiny little head light would put a trains head light to shame,

But I have been more than impressed with the Led out puts of my various work lights and interior lights, security lights that I have bought,

Over the last few years, Led Cree Cob lights have come a long way since I first started buying them, Mainly driving lights for my vehicles,
From 30 watts to now 1100 watts, And getting stronger every year,

They now melt bitumen at three miles, They work fully submerged in a bucket of water, Car leds I can hold in my hand when they are working, So they dont get hot like a halogen or Hid light does,
My white lights are True white lights, 6000K is a true white light but they do come in about 5 colours,

I like youtube comparisons, They demonstrate the different lights together, If the light is crap, they say so and you can see it as well,

If I drop a light over the side and it dont float, 10 or 20 bucks is nothing to lose,

Cheers, Brian,

[lewisa]

Look for a light that is ANSI FL1 certified. Lot's of lights make claims on lumen output and beam candlepower that are pure fantasy, but the FL1 standard assures that proper testing has been performed in a repeatable fashion. You may pay a little more, but at least you know what you're getting.

The information should be on the package and, hopefully, in the marketing materials.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by CarlF

Most handheld searchlights/spotlights are useless on a boat because the beam is too wide. Stray light bounces off the deck and sails ruining your night vision. This light from Marinebeam uses a patented technology to focus the light into a tight beam. Lets you stand at the helm and pick out buoys at astonishing distances. No recharging. The standard D batteries last for years. Not cheap but it’s my goto light on my boat.

https://store.marinebeam.com/marineb...or-flashlight/

Love my Marine Beam. As you say, it has very little scatter so very little light on sails, deck or other boat parts. Almost like a laser beam.

And I prefer using non rechargeable batteries. If it's dead you just drop in new batteries and you're good to go. No need to plug in and wait when you need it NOW.

[Davy J]

Also casting my vote for the Ryobi spotlight.

Batteries are rechargeable with a 12v ryobi charger. We are carrying several batteries onboard because we also use them for drill, driver, saw-zall and my favorite, the portable fans:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-18...3320/205022215

With the new 9 amp hour batteries it will run for, at least, a couple of nights on low, in the main berth, without needing to recharge it.

[stubones99]

I carry Eagletac lights, Either my older TX25C2 light with 18650 battery or my latest TX3R with 26650 battery the USB C charger connector. The TX25C2 has a tighter beam but the TX3R has more battery and more light.

To keep the TX25C2 afloat, I push the handle into a short piece of a pool noodle and it floats the light with no problem. Have not found a similar solution for the TX3R.

I get my lights from Tod at IlluminationGear.com a local guy who knows lights.

[IslandHopper]

Originally Posted by skipmac

And I prefer using non rechargeable batteries. If it's dead you just drop in new batteries and you're good to go. No need to plug in and wait when you need it NOW.

As well as the rechargeables we still keep a couple of old school 6v Dolphin torches and batteries on board, tough as nails and reliable.......

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by IslandHopper

As well as the rechargeables we still keep a couple of old school 6v Dolphin torches and batteries on board, tough as nails and reliable.......

I have a couple of Dolphin torches, Every time I need one, The batterys are dead, Hahahhhaaha

[IslandHopper]

Originally Posted by Mr B

I have a couple of Dolphin torches, Every time I need one, The batterys are dead, Hahahhhaaha

There a back up, thats why you don't leave the batteries in the torch, you put them in when needed......

[stubones99]

Even with Rechargeable batteries, you can still keep a couple of spare batteries charged and ready for use. With my TX3B, you can leave it on the charger (USB-C) and it will show the charge level when you use it by blinking the mode switch (1=25%, 2=50%, 3=75%, solid = 100%).

For marine use, with would prefer a little more throw for picking out markers since a wide beam makes your iris close due to all the light closeby, and a thrower light will put more light on the target, less nearby, so your night blindness is less affected.

Having the 26650 battery, it has much more power than the 18650 battery and can run in turbo longer, but the head gets quite warm. After it gets to max temp, it drops off turbo mode to high output mode automatically.

[CarinaPDX]

That TX3R (I suppose the TX3G version?) is one sweet light. Being able to charge at a high rate with USB-C is really useful for the 26650 - otherwise it is a long charge time. For $110 that is a lot of light.

As lewisa points out there is now an ANSI standard for measuring flashlights. The high-end manufacturers have embraced it as a means to assure their customers that their products really do perform well. After years of utter BS from so many other manufacturers it clears the air. When I commented about the lack of specs being a red flag this is what I meant - if it doesn't have the ANSI specs then there is no guarantee, which is fine for a cheap flashlight but not for a premium light.

Greg

[CarinaPDX]

Because I use standard lithium cells I can always swap in spare batteries and recharge separately. I wouldn't have a flashlight with a non-replaceable battery. The built-in chargers are useful for travel but on the boat I use external chargers.

For those still using AA cells I strongly recommend going to low self-discharge (LSD) NiMH batteries. Standard NiMH self-discharge too quickly and lead to items not being usable when needed while LSD batteries stay charged for years. I refuse to buy large quantities of alkalines just to throw them away after a single use. The big name in LSD batteries is Eneloop (by Panasonic, available at Costco). I have also had good luck with Imedion, and Amazon now offers an Amazon Basics branded (actually Eneloops) at a decent price. The LSD batteries also seem to hold up better to repeated cycling - I have had to throw away all of my older NiMH batteries as they eventually won't take a charge while after many years I have yet to throw away an LSD battery.

Greg