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Post by Malcore on Nov 16, 2006 19:35:06 GMT -9
After doing a night cache awhile back I realized that maybe I should try and find a more powerful flashlight to make night caches easier. So I started checking the net to see what is out there and what's the best type to get. I was surprised to find that the brightest ones around were about 15 million candle power. That is some serious light!! Amazingly today while at work I noticed that there is a new one and it's power is 20,000,000 candle power. With a light that bright you could do night caches in the day time ;D Although it's quite large, heavy and charge life is probably only half an hour, it will be fun to play with. At only $28 I figured I would get one and try it out. Look out world here comes the sun. ;D ;D ;D
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powmia
Silver Cacher
Caches Found/Hidden xxxx/x
Posts: 208
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Post by powmia on Nov 16, 2006 19:45:11 GMT -9
If you use a light that is tooooooooo bright on night caches, the brightness cancels out the reflectiveness of the markers. It is like caching in the daylight....you will not see the markers.
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Post by Forum Admin on Nov 16, 2006 19:54:07 GMT -9
After doing a night cache awhile back I realized that maybe I should try and find a more powerful flashlight to make night caches easier. So I started checking the net to see what is out there and what's the best type to get. I was surprised to find that the brightest ones around were about 15 million candle power. That is some serious light!! Amazingly today while at work I noticed that there is a new one and it's power is 20,000,000 candle power. With a light that bright you could do night caches in the day time ;D Although it's quite large, heavy and charge life is probably only half an hour, it will be fun to play with. At only $28 I figured I would get one and try it out. Look out world here comes the sun. ;D ;D ;D I may be wrong. I'm certainly no expert but I think a candle power refers to light emitted in 360 degrees. Lumens would be a more directed, narrow and intense beam of light. So lumen would seem more important than candle power. What is the lumen power of that flashlight?
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Post by oleruns on Nov 16, 2006 20:11:20 GMT -9
POWMIA is right, you can get way too bright with one of those. I use the flashlight from my Dewalt drill and flashlight set and at 19 volts, it's pretty bright. Even with that light, I find that I have to move the beam from side to side to keep from losing the markers. I used that light and a headlamp to complete NorthWes' cache in the swamp. I bet that cache is much easier now! I don't think there is a "Best" flashlight for night caches but if you have a couple options, you're good to go. - Ole
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Post by oleruns on Nov 16, 2006 20:16:25 GMT -9
Another problem is the darn trees blocking the markers ahead. The cache over in Connors bog was great with my light you could see many markers in front of you, so it went fast. I also noticed with the swamp cache that spruce trees sap will sparkle and you start to look at a million little reflectors with a bright light. That's when the head lamp was handy Ole
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Post by Forum Admin on Nov 16, 2006 20:20:25 GMT -9
POWMIA is right, you can get way too bright with one of those. I use the flashlight from my Dewalt drill and flashlight set and at 19 volts, it's pretty bright. Even with that light, I find that I have to move the beam from side to side to keep from losing the markers. I used that light and a headlamp to complete NorthWes' cache in the swamp. I bet that cache is much easier now! I don't think there is a "Best" flashlight for night caches but if you have a couple options, you're good to go. - Ole I have a light from REI that is 50 lumen. Was great on Anchorage Exorsist. Headlamp was great for Ole's Simple Night Cache.
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Post by Malcore on Nov 17, 2006 0:02:48 GMT -9
based on the info I was able to find on it, this light has about 3500 lumen on the high settings which is 130w. the low setting is 100w so the lumens are about 25% less.
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Post by Malcore on Nov 17, 2006 0:06:24 GMT -9
also it has a 3 LED light built into it. and a 12v output to use as a power supply for other things.
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Post by oleruns on Nov 17, 2006 6:35:28 GMT -9
Sounds like that you are going to get that flashlight, let us know how it works! I hope you have a couple night caches left to do or someone puts one out for you. Cache On! - Ole
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Post by NorthWes on Nov 17, 2006 8:59:17 GMT -9
As a sign guy who uses reflective material like chefs use sauce, the best way to do night caches is with a headlamp generating a pretty concentrated beam (see powmia's recommendation on the other gear thread - he mentions a terrific lamp available at REI), coupled with a hand flashlight to 'pin' the visible reflector while you seek the next marker with your headlamp. As an alternative (no headlamp), hold a small flashlite on top of your head. The reflectors are designed to bounce light straight back (unlike tree sap, snow, and ice...) - so you want the light source as close to your eyes as possible (but not shining or spilling over into your eyes). A headlamp above a cap with a bill on it is primo. As mentioned, too much light can actually overwhelm some reflectors. The 4 square inch 'black' reflectors I've used on 'Lone Post' and 'Law of the Jungle' aren't too bad (a relatively huge surface area compared to most ambient reflective surfaces), but my next night cache using camo 'firetacks' (similar to most other night caches in the Anchorage area) will be overwhelmed by too much light. Olerun's right about the 'Lone Post' Night cache - those reflectors are too close together and too linear. I listened to scobey's critical feedback from that one when I put out 'Law of the Jungle' (so he gets partial credit for the course layout! ) I should alter Lone Post a bit as scobey's suggested... might be fun for Aero & I over Thanksgiving to add to that course!
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Post by New Yorker on Nov 17, 2006 20:15:13 GMT -9
This is what I use.
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Post by Hazelsgroup on Nov 23, 2006 18:51:38 GMT -9
giggle giggle giggle!!! This must be a joke.... hahaha
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Post by New Yorker on Nov 23, 2006 23:03:01 GMT -9
giggle giggle giggle!!! This must be a joke.... hahaha Really...... I found two night caches hawling it with my pickup.
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Post by oleruns on Nov 24, 2006 9:09:58 GMT -9
That's a Texas size flashlight not a New Yorker size flashlight. ;D
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Post by Hazelsgroup on Dec 29, 2006 22:18:58 GMT -9
Got a few new gadgets for Christmas for Geocaching, one was a Sure Fire mini flashlight that one the best light contest around the house. Nice and light weight. Will pick up a new headlamp as recommended above though.
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