Surefire Flashlights?

AirBaker said:
Anyone have any of these? They look cool, but for $100 bucks?
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One of my best! I have an L1 Digital LumaMax. The white LED is very crisp and is the best flashlight I have ever bought. The Aviator edition looks great also with the red LEDs.

Jason
 
I have the Aviator A2 in my flight bag. I also own severl other models that I use for work. They are costly, but surefire makes quality products and are worth the price IMHO.
 
I've been looking at the A2. But it just seems silly to spend 100-200 bucks on a flashlight when a mag-lite with the LED conversion is 20 bucks.
 
AirBaker said:
I've been looking at the A2. But it just seems silly to spend 100-200 bucks on a flashlight when a mag-lite with the LED conversion is 20 bucks.
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The Lithium battery it uses is also very economical and have only had to replace the battery once since I've had the flashlight (well over 2 years). It provides both medium and high intensity light at both push and constant levels (you can either push, or push hard and keep the pressure or you can turn the knob on the outside clockwise to activate the light constantly).

The mag-lites are nice, but I haven't found anything that beats the pure white-light, intensity, battery life, and size for the price. Request one of their catalogs to see what they offer. They make a large catalog that's fun to look through.

Jason
 
AirBaker said:
Anyone have any of these? They look cool, but for $100 bucks?
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Any of these what? All I see are people and/or plane. What was the Link?

HR
 
Got a junk 16-LED "police light" for 17 bucks off ebay. Still on the same set of batteries, after a year of heavy use. Super bright.
Its lasted a year so far. I figure that a surefire would have to last at least 7 years to be the same value, and I would have to not lose it.
 
I am a L.E. Officer and have used Surefire lights for years, they are great lights, but there are other lights on the market now that are just as good and half the price. Do some shopping before plunking down that much cash. The same Aviator light can be purchased from Galls for less money, its just not called the Aviator.
 
Dean said:
The same Aviator light can be purchased from Galls for less money, its just not called the Aviator.
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Do you have a link? Thanks Dean.
 
AirBaker said:
Do you even read the title?
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Well, I was going to make a crack about the photos too but it was going to be a little too rude but presumably very funny :D Sorry :P

Surefire has a great rep, I buy them for all my rangers. You can't go wrong with them.
 
They are worth every penny. I've still got one I've owned since 1990. I've carried it on duty in Alaska, in the jungle, in the desert. It's gotten the crap kicked out of it, and still works. Too bright for use in the cockpit, or even preflighting a plane, IMHO. It's EXTREMELY bright, in fact. Might be handy to have in the plane should you go down at night and need to look around, but the plane is one place I don't carry mine.
 
alaskaflyer said:
Well, I was going to make a crack about the photos too but it was going to be a little too rude but presumably very funny :D Sorry :P

Surefire has a great rep, I buy them for all my rangers. You can't go wrong with them.
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:) My only thought at the time was if queried about having tried "these?" there would be some reference photos(or a Link) to same.

:dunno:
 
I have a Pelican M6 that a friend of mine gave me. I think they're aorund $40. Its a single, LED, that's bright with good battery life. Tough, aluminum case, but a lot less expensive than the Surefires.
 
alaskaflyer said:
Well, I was going to make a crack about the photos too but it was going to be a little too rude but presumably very funny :D Sorry :P
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Yeah... Without having made any indication of it being a joke, I would have had issues with such a comment. Just to be clear.

That being said, I'm removing the picture from my signature to keep you guys from getting any ideas.... ;)
 
Dean said:
I am a L.E. Officer and have used Surefire lights for years, they are great lights, but there are other lights on the market now that are just as good and half the price. Do some shopping before plunking down that much cash. The same Aviator light can be purchased from Galls for less money, its just not called the Aviator.
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What do think about getting a duty belt and keeper, etc for geek gear like cellphone, PDA, radio?

I looks fairly expensive but could be handy for events like tramping through Oshkosh.

http://www.galls.com/category2.html?assort=general_catalog&cat=2941
 
mikea said:
What do think about getting a duty belt and keeper, etc for geek gear like cellphone, PDA, radio?

I looks fairly expensive but could be handy for events like tramping through Oshkosh.

http://www.galls.com/category2.html?assort=general_catalog&cat=2941
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Take it from someone who HAD to wear one of those %$#@& things for 17 years....you'd be more comfortable wearing a backpack or fanny pack to carry all that stuff. :D
 
mikea said:
What do think about getting a duty belt and keeper, etc for geek gear like cellphone, PDA, radio?

I looks fairly expensive but could be handy for events like tramping through Oshkosh.

http://www.galls.com/category2.html?assort=general_catalog&cat=2941
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Let me know what you want for sure, there is a surplus property store here and prices are much cheeper than Galls. If you are not going to use them for work, they are great.
 
ausrere said:
Take it from someone who HAD to wear one of those %$#@& things for 17 years....you'd be more comfortable wearing a backpack or fanny pack to carry all that stuff. :D
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I'm still wearing one after 24 years, its the life saving vest that I hate. More so in the summer than in the winter, foot/bike patrol on 100 deg days really suck.
 
Folks...I really don't get it...what is wrong with a good plastic 2xD cell flashlight...I'm not talking about a cheap flashlight that needs a few whacks to make it work, I mean a flashlight that is solid with a good switch....you can probably get one at the supermarket or Sears for under $10....everyone carps about not having enough money to fly but meanwhile is spending hundreds of dollars on flashlights.

I just bought a few packs of 8 Duracell double A batteries...each pack had a single A flashlight included at no extra charge. They are great little flashlights, a good switch, solid feel, bright enough for cockpit use at night in flight and they didn't cost me the equivalent of 2.5 hours of avgas.

Len
 
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Dean said:
I'm still wearing one after 24 years, its the life saving vest that I hate. More so in the summer than in the winter, foot/bike patrol on 100 deg days really suck.
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Maybe it's a female thing. You guys typically have more room on the belt for "stuff". I could never find a good place on the belt to put all that stuff and keep it comfortable to sit in a patrol car with (and I'm not a skinny little thing either..how some of those skinny female officers do it I don't know). I mean sheesh.. once you get handcuffs, gun, extra magazines and radio it was bad enough. But now days they've added tazer, asp baton, patrol car video mike/control unit and of course cell phone carrier and there is positively NO room on the thing. And for all of you who haven't worn one, try sitting comfortably in a patrol car for 8 hours a day with a hand cuff case (or worse) digging in to your back all the time. Not fun :D

Vest was never a problem to me, even in Texas with 100+ degree days directing traffic for hours. All it took was seeing one fellow officer's life saved because he had his on for me to get used to wearing it. You also get used to people looking at you funny when they see you blowing down the front of your own uniform shirt. :rofl:
 
Len Lanetti said:
Folks...I really don't get it...what is wrong with a good plastic 2xD cell flashlight...I'm not talking about a cheap flashlight that needs a few whacks to make it work, I mean a flashlight that is solid with a good switch....you can probably get one at the supermarket or Sears for under $10....everyone carps about not having enough money to fly but meanwhile is spending hundreds of dollars on flashlights.

I just bought a few packs of 8 Duracell double A batteries...each pack had a single A flashlight included at no extra charge. They are great little flashlights, a good switch, solid feel, bright enough for cockpit use at night in flight and they didn't cost me the equivalent of 2.5 hours of avgas.

Len
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Even better, Len, are the free ones that are often handed out as promotional items at trade shows. I have a couple that I use regularly around the house (including a full-sized mag light), I have a mini-mag light that lives in my flight bag - it has some vendors logo on it, and I got a couple last week that are little LED lights, one blue/white, the other has a white LED and a red led. Total cost = zero.
 
Len Lanetti said:
Folks...I really don't get it...what is wrong with a good plastic 2xD cell flashlight...I'm not talking about a cheap flashlight that needs a few whacks to make it work, I mean a flashlight that is solid with a good switch....you can probably get one at the supermarket or Sears for under $10....everyone carps about not having enough money to fly but meanwhile is spending hundreds of dollars on flashlights.

I just bought a few packs of 8 Duracell double A batteries...each pack had a single A flashlight included at no extra charge. They are great little flashlights, a good switch, solid feel, bright enough for cockpit use at night in flight and they didn't cost me the equivalent of 2.5 hours of avgas.
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I hear ya Len. I carry AA Maglites and a couple of small, inexpensive LED's. My Pelican M6 was a gift, but they run $40.
 
wsuffa said:
Even better, Len, are the free ones that are often handed out as promotional items at trade shows. I have a couple that I use regularly around the house (including a full-sized mag light), I have a mini-mag light that lives in my flight bag - it has some vendors logo on it, and I got a couple last week that are little LED lights, one blue/white, the other has a white LED and a red led. Total cost = zero.
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I bought one 13 years ago for $30,000, but it came with a free Ford Explorer. Light still works. Truck is long gone.
 
Ken Ibold said:
I bought one 13 years ago for $30,000, but it came with a free Ford Explorer. Light still works. Truck is long gone.
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Haha! I bought a couple of fold up camp chairs a number of years ago for $32,000 that came with a free Ford Expedition! Same story - chairs still work great, but the truck is long gone here, too!
 
wsuffa said:
Even better, Len, are the free ones that are often handed out as promotional items at trade shows. I have a couple that I use regularly around the house (including a full-sized mag light), I have a mini-mag light that lives in my flight bag - it has some vendors logo on it, and I got a couple last week that are little LED lights, one blue/white, the other has a white LED and a red led. Total cost = zero.
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Wow! Cool! All the swag that they hand out at the trade shows I attend barely makes it home for the dog to chew up! I gotta start going to better trade shows! :D
 
i have a petzl headband flashlight with a red filter and three intensities. has three led's. works great, hands free. Just have to get used to looking like a doofus. Also helps in rentals with lousy panel lighting. I think they are fairly inexpensive, I got mine for christmas.
 
ausrere said:
Take it from someone who HAD to wear one of those %$#@& things for 17 years....you'd be more comfortable wearing a backpack or fanny pack to carry all that stuff. :D
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Well, it's not the weight I'd worry about. I won't have a .45 and a 6 cell flashlight on it. I actually saw the suggestion to try a duty belt on some geek blog.

I remembered that my problem is I tend miss the open part of doorways so anything I put on my belt gets banged up a lot and gets knocked off when I sit down.

I think I'll go for a Scott-E-vest. http://www.scottevest.com/ except it'll be hot in July at Oshkosh.
 
mikea said:
I actually saw the suggestion to try a duty belt on some geek blog.
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Well that should tell you everything you need to know right there. :D
 
I gotta go with Bill S. and the others on this one cheap is okay. I have five flashlights in my flight bag and altogether they didn't cost $100.
Hey...quit snickering, some people are afraid of the dark! :)

Anyhow, I have a red Mini-Mag, a white Mini-Mag, and a 2D cell Mag. I also have one that has red LED/white LED/Halogen all in one. It cost $10 at one of the xMarts, and seems to work pretty good. Oh, and I have an ASP brand 'Navigator' light. It is a red LED light that lasts forever because of the warranty. (I sent ASP back most of one that had lived in my pocket every day for a year as a wire pulling monkey, and they sent me a brand new one really fast, just like they said they would. ASP Rocks!!!)

Here is a link to a cheaper all metal three-in-one deal that might work great.

http://www.avshop.com/prodinfo.asp?number=6730

I like the idea of a vest, seems really useful, but is that okay for a pilot to wear? Will it look cool enough? Up here you HAVE to look cool when you fly, it's in the regs....

--Matt
 
The rogue said:
II like the idea of a vest, seems really useful, but is that okay for a pilot to wear? Will it look cool enough? Up here you HAVE to look cool when you fly, it's in the regs....

--Matt
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They have a baseball cap with a pocket at Scott-E. That would let you dress like pilot while being a geek undercover.
 
The rogue said:
I gotta go with Bill S. and the others on this one cheap is okay. I have five flashlights in my flight bag and altogether they didn't cost $100.
Hey...quit snickering, some people are afraid of the dark! :)

Anyhow, I have a red Mini-Mag, a white Mini-Mag, and a 2D cell Mag. I also have one that has red LED/white LED/Halogen all in one. It cost $10 at one of the xMarts, and seems to work pretty good. Oh, and I have an ASP brand 'Navigator' light. It is a red LED light that lasts forever because of the warranty. (I sent ASP back most of one that had lived in my pocket every day for a year as a wire pulling monkey, and they sent me a brand new one really fast, just like they said they would. ASP Rocks!!!)

Here is a link to a cheaper all metal three-in-one deal that might work great.

http://www.avshop.com/prodinfo.asp?number=6730

I like the idea of a vest, seems really useful, but is that okay for a pilot to wear? Will it look cool enough? Up here you HAVE to look cool when you fly, it's in the regs....

--Matt
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I wear a survival vest when I fly cross country up here, required at work but I thought it was such a good idea I bought my own. Couldn't stomache the safety orange though, so I bought a tan one for my personal use instead. Looks like one of those REI travel vests to the casual eye, but it has hidden inflatable flotation. Maybe I am kidding myself but it doesn't look too geeky as long as I don't stuff too much in the pockets.
 
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