Flashlights (2 Viewers)

[Andy Adcock]

Having recently purchased a new flashlight and lost it the first time I used it, I wanted to get some input as to what you regular nightbirders are using these days before I re-replace it.

I'm not an avid nightbirder so my usage is less than occasional but I know the days of five cell Maglites are behind us so, what are you all using?

 

[Paul Chapman]

Ledlenser MT14. Rechargeable. Lightweight. Powerful. I used it to spotlight a Scops Owl only a couple of nights ago. Used by better & more experienced birders & travellers than me.

All the best

Paul

 

[Jos Stratford]

Ledlenser MT14. Rechargeable. Lightweight. Powerful. I used it to spotlight a Scops Owl only a couple of nights ago. Used by better & more experienced birders & travellers than me.

All the best

Paul

I have two of the small Ledlensers, one rechargeable, one battery - both compact and excellent.

 

[Steve Babbs]

Lenser MT14 very good and good battery life + Acebeam L18 for when things are very distant. Very powerful but boy does it get through the battery when on full blast.

 

[gerald762]

I would buy a torch, not a flashlight!!!!

 

[Andy Adcock]

Ledlenser MT14. Rechargeable. Lightweight. Powerful. I used it to spotlight a Scops Owl only a couple of nights ago. Used by better & more experienced birders & travellers than me.

All the best

Paul

Cheers Paul, Jos, this is very similar to the one I lost recently, not sure what brand it was though but it came in a fancy box......I still have the box

 

[MiddleRiver]

Fenix PD36R PRO Rechargeable Flashlight

Fenix’s best selling PD36R has gone PRO. It’s everything you like about the PD36R, but with more power—a maximum 2800 lumen turbo! Shop now.

www.fenixlighting.com

 

[Zephyrus Carrington]

Having recently purchased a new flashlight and lost it the first time I used it, I wanted to get some input as to what you regular nightbirders are using these days before I re-replace it.

I'm not an avid nightbirder so my usage is less than occasional but I know the days of five cell Maglites are behind us so, what are you all using?

I bought a led conversion for my trusty 90s 3 cell maglite and the difference is amazing. Added advantage of the maglites self-defence potential... 🤣

 

[Andy Adcock]

I bought a led conversion for my trusty 90s 3 cell maglite and the difference is amazing. Added advantage of the maglites self-defence potential... 🤣

I had my 5 cell confiscated as a potential weapon, as I boarded an aircraft once.

 

[Andy Adcock]

I had my 5 cell confiscated as a potential weaopn, as I boarded an aircraft once.

I'm not joking, coming back from South Africa, I wrote about it somewhere on BF at the time.

 

[kb57]

I bought a Fenix torch and also managed to lose it the first time I used it (in French Guiana last year, left it behind in one of my accommodations) - can't remember the model but it had red and green light options which were at least in theory better for night birding - I didn't manage to find any owls or nightjars with it on the couple of times I used it, having much better success with the latter using the car headlights...

 

[Andy Adcock]

I was so angry with the security people at Johannesburg airport when they took my Maglite, that I took off the screw end so that nobody else could use it. I complained to Lufthansa when I got home and they agreed to replace it after I pointed out that the torch was no more dangerous as a weapon, than any 1L bottle of spirits they were selling on board.

 

[Paul Chapman]

I had my hand luggage strewn all over the place by an aggressive security person looking for my "Maglite" once at an airport. It would be my torch choice when moth trapping remotely around Britain but I would not travel with one....

My lightweight torch was actually in the other of my two hand luggage bags. They had pressed the wrong button & diverted the wrong one of my two bags for a search. They did get sheepish when I finally got them to listen to me rather than accusing me of interfering with their search & I showed them the lightweight torch.

The MT14 in action earlier this week.

All the best

Paul

 

[Bezzer]

I bought a led conversion for my trusty 90s 3 cell maglite and the difference is amazing. Added advantage of the maglites self-defence potential... 🤣

Treated my 30 odd year old AA mini maglite recently to an led conversion also, was decent before, now it's night and day. You can get an on/off switch as well now so you don't have to twist the head to turn it on and focus each time, didn't bother as you get the full focused beam as soon as you twist it on with the conversion.
Not great for self defence but adds a bit of oomph inside a closed fist....or so I'm told 😇

 

[Jon.Bryant]

Depends what you want to use it for. I have a Fenix HT18R - much bulkier than the MT14, but also much brighter (when on highest of 4 setting) so even though the range of both torches is about the same, you are casting much more light on more distant trees with the Fenix.

It also comes with a belt holster and lanyard (which may help prevent loosing it) and with red and green filters.... but even at minimum setting (30 lm) and with the red filter, in my experience it scared the life out of Southern Brown and Great Spotted Kiwis! - I later bought a cheap very low lumens red torch for use with the more shy species.

 

[PYRTLE]

Hello mate, an occassional user also I've a Fenix TK32 which has been used sporadically over the last 5 years.....use the red filter when "prowling" around in our local dark skies though it also has a green option. Useful all round bit of kit - all metal body so a tad front end heavy and cold during winter. Cheers

 

[Jon.Bryant]

Fenix TK32

Didn't know they did torches with built in red and green LED's. Looks like the Fenix HT32 is the current model, but a bit expensive. The HT18R has clip on filters - easier to loose. And I imagine it is easier to switch colours with LEDs as opposed to clip on filters.

 

[Andy Adcock]

Thanks all, decision to be made.

 

[Farnboro John]

Hello mate, an occassional user also I've a Fenix TK32 which has been used sporadically over the last 5 years.....use the red filter when "prowling" around in our local dark skies though it also has a green option. Useful all round bit of kit - all metal body so a tad front end heavy and cold during winter. Cheers

I also have a Fenix with red and green options - local foxes don't mind red and it gives enough light to autofocus my DSLR out to 20 yards or so - BTW it warms up quite a lot when on white for any length of time!

John

 

[temmie]

Fenix HT18R here. No regrets.