Yeah man, momentary and the ability for constant on is perfect. Strobe is overrated and not ever really utilized. I’m glad the HL-X has the ten tap programmable feature so I can turn the strobe off and put it into “high only” mode.
What do you look for in a flashlight for a carbine?
- Thread starter Fightingfish
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I forgo pressure pads and their attendant cables for a simple tail switch. For me there isn't much point in anything enabling offside shooting since I can't aim with the offside eye due to a vision defect.
As for Arisaka, have they started producing their own heads? LastvI checked they were using Malkoff Devices heads to go with their own light bodies and tail switches. I have one on my NYGF rifle with one of their mounts. Its a very nice setup but totally outclassed by the new Li-Ion powered offerings from Modlight and Cloud Defensive. I wish Modlights weren't so expensive, its hard to choose purchasing one when an equal amount of money can get a case of ammo. More or less anyways.
As for Arisaka, have they started producing their own heads? LastvI checked they were using Malkoff Devices heads to go with their own light bodies and tail switches. I have one on my NYGF rifle with one of their mounts. Its a very nice setup but totally outclassed by the new Li-Ion powered offerings from Modlight and Cloud Defensive. I wish Modlights weren't so expensive, its hard to choose purchasing one when an equal amount of money can get a case of ammo. More or less anyways.
Yeah, they use Malkoff heads. They just sell them as complete Arisaka kits which still do very well for a CR123 powered white light. The 300 series uses one CR123 but the 600 series is able to use either two CR123’s or one 16650 rechargeable. People mainly run only CR123’s in them and it’s a good choice for people who like to only use CR123’s and still outperform the Surefire options.
They are about the same aren't they? My single cell Arisaka is listed by Malkoff @ 320 lumens, candela is not listed but it is a flood beam. Aren't the current Surefire 300s rated @ 350 lumens? Not that is any meaningful difference and I do think Malkoff products are excellent.
What I like about the Arisaka setups is how streamlined and trim they are, lo-pro and sucked in tight against the handguard.
It depends on which head you have. But from all the stats I can read on their sites even the lowest performing Malkoff head in their smallest 300series outperforms the Surefire 300 and 600 series. I’ll copy and paste the info from their site...
The same Malkoff Devices heads that we use on the Arisaka 300 and 600 Series Lights are now available as stand alone upgrades. The E1HT is designed for the single cell Arisaka 300 series and Surefire M300 Scout bodies. The E2HT and E2XT are designed for the two cell Arisaka 600 series and Surefire M600 Scout bodies. These heads do not fit the larger M600DF or Modlite bodies.
- E2XT - 55,000 candela and 500 out-the-front lumens. 1.23" diameter bezel. Very focused beam for maximum distance. Continuous run time is 30 minutes on two CR123 cells or 60 minutes on one 16650 cell.
- E2HT - 35,000 candela and 500 out-the-front lumens. 1" diameter bezel. Very focused beam for maximum distance. Continuous run time is 30 minutes on two CR123 cells or 60 minutes on one 16650 cell.
- E1HT - 23,000 candela and 325 out-the-front lumens. 1"diameter bezel. Very focused beam for maximum distance. Continuous run time is 45-60 minutes on one CR123 cell.
- EX IR 250 - Infrared only, 250mW output, 5 degree beam angle. Continuous run time is 4 hours on one CR123. Can use one or two CR123 cells, or one 16650 cell. Similar to MAWL C1+ focused illuminator output with twice the area coverage.
- EX IR 700 - Infrared only, 700mW output, 5 degree beam angle. Continuous run time is 1 hour on one CR123. Can use one or two CR123 cells, or one 16650 cell. Exceeds PEQ-15 high output at equivalent illuminator focus.
- E2XTD - 70,000 candela and 500 out-the-front lumens. 1.23" diameter bezel. Very focused beam for maximum distance. Continuous run time is 30 minutes on one 16650 cell. Does not support CR123 cells.
@Will555, what would you recommend for a hand held light that isn't too large, with some throw but yet still some decent spill? I have the FW3a, 2,800 lumens @ 10,000 candela for EDC and I will be getting a Nitecore E4K, 3,300 lumens @10,000 candela. I'm looking for a good bump in the night light and also I like to do a little urban exploration (tons of that in PA).
Specifically with one of the Arisaka heads? If not, I’d say the Modlite PLHv2 is perfect for what you’re saying. Modlite’s can get pricey when you’re using them for weapon mounted lights due to all the accessories that are required to buy separately to get them setup just the way people like them. The nice thing is when you’re looking for and buying the handheld versions, you only really need to buy the handheld kit and you’re ready to go. Comes with the charger and battery not terribly expensive and is definitely a fantastic light. The Modlite’s physical profile are pretty slim and very easy to carry, less bulky than a Streamlight HLX.
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Can confirm PLHv2 is a solid ass handheld. Especially with a Switchback 2.0 (or surefire ring clip)
They also like everything else have a 18350 body
(Not my photo)
I say go 18650 for the benefit of the better ergonomic of holding the light. I have relatively small hands and if I was holding an 18350 version my hands covers the entire battery compartment section and getting up onto the head of the light. Which isn’t a dealbreaker but I feel more comfortable with a grip where my hands are gripping only the battery compartment section with the perfect length to put my thumb in the proper location the activate the rear tailcap. 18650 run time is better than 18350 run time obviously. Really the only question to ask yourself is, is an 18650 sized light too large for you to carry? If it’s not, than I would definitely say go with the 18650 version.
Finally.. I'll have to check this out later.. will be interested in how they concluded, especially after the modlite video where they LOVED the plhv2
It’s no surprise that the REIN performed well. They did leave out a few things or at least didn’t touch on them very much which I think are big deals with the light system. First of which being the integrated cable management system of the underside of LCS. Then there is the rear tailcap that can be rotated every 90 degrees to help tuck the wire to the rail better. The REIN also comes with the battery jack that internally tightens down on the battery when you install it. The also jack allows the use of different lengths batteries (protected/unprotected) without worrying about them fitting properly and it also allows for 100% battery connectivity so it will never flicker under recoil. They also spoke about the the warmer kelvin rating on the Cloud Defensive lights and how they prefer the whiter hue of the Modlite. The reason for the warmer kelvin rating of the Cloud Defensive lights is it lends itself to push through photonics barriers a little better than bright white lights. The warmer hue also is better at pushing light through air with particulates and fog in it. One of the things I disagree with is I really don’t think the REIN is that HUGEEE of a light. Yes the head of the light is wider than most lights but it’s not terrible and unusable. The thickness of the body is barely wider than most Modlite/Surefire/Arisaka/Streamlight alternatives. Also, it is a little bit bigger in general because it’s practically bombproof and can be used as an impact tool without it being destroyed. The from bezel is made of S7 tool steel and you can literally hammer nails in with it.
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For a house light for bump in the night I think I will follow @Will555's suggestion of a hand held version of modlight. Still, I want something else with mo' powa! something with high output, good balance of throw and spill and better runtime. Something in a 21700 format. Something that wood ve good for exploring the abandoned highway tunnels outside Breezewood.
If you’re looking for a light with a more power you’re most likely going to have to start looking into lights that run on multiple batteries. You’re not going to find many other single battery handheld lights that are as high quality and that are going to completely blow the PLHv2 out of the water. A lot of those single battery handheld lights are gonna be pretty close to each other output wise, but the larger 21700 battery will just allow it to have longer run times. When you see the lights with high lumens, make sure you find their candela rating too if you want it to be able to push through. For a really good exploring/search light that’s not expensive and runs on two 18650’s, the Streamlight Protac HL-5X really does perform really well. Has a large amount of flood and still has very good candela when you put it into high mode. Since it’s not being used as a “tactical” light, you can use the setting where you activate “low, medium, and high”.
That is pretty much exactly what I'm looking for. Are those USB charged batteries also able to be put in a battery charger?
For a days exploration I can pack a couple extra charged 18650s and a pack of CR123s as backup.
I especially like the way the #s read on that- lots of raw output balanced with good throw. That'd be great for lurking round PA's many abandoned industrial ruins. There are a few places that are so old, dating back to the 1800s they are al out completely overgrown, totally forgotten in the middle of nowhere.
Yep, the 18650’s with the built in USB charging port can also be charged is the regular chargers. I have a few of the Streamlight USB 18650’s and I charge them in my normal chargers.
It’s actually on sale right now on PA. The difference between this one and the “rechargeable” one is the “rechargeable” one comes with the two 18650’s. So you can just buy two more 18650’s and you’re good to go.
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$66.56 sale price, $82.12 with tax and shipping. No reason not to at that price....... so I did.
Nice! Did you pick up some extra 18650’s too?
I already have a bunch. Or do I need the USB ones specifically?
I don’t see why you can’t use other good quality batteries. But I can’t 100% say for sure because for my HL-5X I have always used the Streamlight 18650’s. Maybe I’ll see if I can pop in two different 18650’s and see if it works.
I'm thinking the USB 18650 might be longer than standard
I was also thinking that too. I just spent the last 20 minutes rummaging through my house trying to find an Nitecore MH37UV that I pretty much never use anymore. I knew it runs on an 18650 and I always know where my M600DF is. Took a little bit to find the Nitecore but I found it. Now I have two different (non Streamlight) batteries charging. When they are charged I’ll throw them into the HL-5X and see what happens. Hopefully it doesn’t blow up on me, lol.
I can also check with my calipers the battery lengths when they’re done charging.
That light is outperformed by my little FW3A pocket light. Granted, the FW3A remains the highest performing light of it's type. I highly recommend it as an EDC light. 2,800 lumens @ 10,000 candela. A floody beam but it reaches out farther than you might think just by raw horsepower. It can completely illuminate an area the size of a gymnasium. Just not for very long as it ramps down after 30 seconds.
After sitting on the couch for a little bit after searching for my Nitecore, my wife says to me that the tracking for one of her packages states that it has already been delivered back on the 31st. Good thing I had my HL-5X out on the counter. So I went out looking for it and of course it’s on my neighbors porch. So after getting the package and bring it back, I was messing around with the light...Moral of the story, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised the output the HL-5X has for its price point.
I was thinking it would be nice if there was a version that took two 21700s for some extra run time.
So after letting the two non-Streamlight batteries charge overnight, I threw them into the HL-5X and it worked without an issue. As for the batteries lengths, they are slightly shorter than the Streamlight’s but not as big of a difference as you would think. You would think that they would be taller by the same amount of length that the USB ports take up, but nope...It’s minimal. You’ll have a larger discrepancy in lengths when comparing flat top vs button top 18650’s.
That light is outperformed by my little FW3A pocket light. Granted, the FW3A remains the highest performing light of it's type. I highly recommend it as an EDC light. 2
So in the HL-5x at least USB and standard 18650 batteries are interchangeable? Good, I have half a dozen non protected 18650 cells.