Flashlight for night digs?

[HighVDI]

Just wondering what you night diggers use when you need to shed some light on the situation. Obviously I'd want something smaller to fit in a pocket or pouch and be durable.....and bright.

Thanks for any advice!

 

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[Swaveab]

HighVDI it sounds like you've already got the light you need. Drag that out of the mothballs and use it. Out of curiosity what is it that you have that has the red light too?

 

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[3cylbill]

I always have my trusty...GHOST VAPOR flashlight in my pocket small and powerful and uses one aaa battery .I never leave home without it...

 

[HighVDI]

HighVDI it sounds like you've already got the light you need. Drag that out of the mothballs and use it. Out of curiosity what is it that you have that has the red light too?

I had an old headlamp like mentioned on here but it disappeared somewhere.

They still make them and I'm sure they're leaps and bounds better than the old one I had. Actually picking one up today at lowes. $25.00. Worth it for me since I do alot of night digging.

 

[RustyGold]

Here’s one that I use will go from spotlight to small beam.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06Y6L5M8P/?tag=treasurenet01-20
$11.99

 

[HighVDI]

Here’s one that I use will go from spotlight to small beam.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06Y6L5M8P/?tag=treasurenet01-20
$11.99
View attachment 1547453

You've probably been doing your night digs in a t-shirt lately Rusty Gold. You west coast diggers make me sick!

 

[oldkoot]

this past Christmas my daughter gave me a really good flashlight for a present it is called Phixton it game with a 12 volt cigarette charger a 120 volt wall charger one 5000 Mah battery and an attachment for bicycle handlebars that attachment just so happened to fit on the shaft of my GM 1000 and also my X TERRA 705 once attached to the shaft it allows you to attach the flashlight and it is vary bright 1200 lumens

 

[Ammoman]

I prefer stumbling around in the dark, tripping over old logs and getting poked in the eyes by tree limbs. But, on that rare occasion when i am with someone that may be concerned about my welfare, I stay at home in the evenings.

 

[Tahts-a-dats-ago]

Over the past 12 months I've had roughly 100 flashlights come into my possession. Some were purchased; most were sent by the manufacturers for evaluation purposes. Most of them were then gifted to someone else (once I've tested and reviewed them).

For the purpose of metal detecting, I would think that a high power flashlight is not needed (too much for the task at hand – it would blow out up close objects).

One common means of measuring light output is lumens – basically it is a mathematical equation that divides output over a specified distance to get a number that equates to a multiplication of the amount of light available on a night with a full moon. Roughly speaking, a 1,000 lumen flashlight is 1,000 times brighter than the light (in a specific area, at a specific distance) from a full moon.

Our eyes don't see light on a linear scale though, so a 1,000 lumen flashlight does not appear to be twice as bright (to our eyes) as a 500 lumen flashlight. We can see the difference, but it does not appear to be twice as bright.

Human eyes see red, white, and green light quite well. The advantage of red light is that it doesn't tend to hamper our night vision nearly as much as white light does. We also see better with diffused light.

There are a number of brands that offer flashlights with multiple colors [of light] – typically these models are geared toward hunters and those who fish. These types of flashlights are usually a bit larger than most would find comfortable for everyday pocket carry, but they're still smaller than the old C and D models we all used to have. Most of these types of flashlights will run on rechargeable cells – usually a single 18650 battery. They're also geared more toward throwing ability (as opposed to flood ability).

The smaller EDC types of flashlights tend to be single color (white) only [color of light put out]. They're very easy to carry in a pocket and they often have very impressive outputs. Battery choices range from AAA batteries to 18650 rechargeable batteries – depending upon the brand/model chosen. A number of companies offer models (in this size) that can double as headlights (they come with comfortable headbands that securely hold the flashlight).

Key-chain flashlights are smaller still – typically the size of a tube of lip balm or smaller. They tend to use a single AAA battery (or a smaller rechargeable battery) and most feature a means of attachment to a key ring. Outputs vary – some feature incredible outputs for their size – but the highest mode is typically somewhere around 150 lumens (roughly 7-8 times the light put out by the old C and D models).

For metal detecting purposes, if I wanted a flashlight that attached to the stem of my detector I'd look at an edc sized flashlight and get a bicycle mount to go along with it.

One of the models that doubles as a headlamp is also a good choice. I have several and they work remarkably well. I also like the idea of being able to use the flashlight separately when needed.

My choice would be a small key-chain flashlight – something that I can easily attach to a ring or belt loop for ease of access and security. I'd want something with multiple modes; preferably one of the modes being a moonlight mode (1 lumen or thereabouts) so I'm not blinding myself, or attracting attention I don't want. I'd either get a model that comes with colored diffusers, or make a red diffuser myself, for use in a higher mode. I'd want a model that was more of a flood light than a throw light.


Prices would range from a bit less than $10 to more than $100 – all depending upon which brand/model chosen. Nearly all models would be waterproof (IPX 8 – two meters submerged) and impact resistant to 1.5 meters or more.

I seldom metal detect at night, but I always have at least two flashlights on my person (2 on my key-chain and usually another edc model). Most people would be surprised at how often a flashlight is needed on a daily basis.

 

[against the wind]

A word of Caution if you hunt the beaches at night in Georgia or South Carolina. Due to the Sea Turtle Nests it is illegal to use flashlights on the beach after dark.

 

[Swaveab]

I haven't hunted at night, but I have a Fenix FD-30. It will be able to go as low as 8 lumens and with a red filter on it it would do quite well I would assume. It has many settings on up to 960 lumens so you can flood with as much light as you want. This light is a variable focus type, but it's not strong on a good narrow beam nor is it a totally even flood in it's adjustments. It uses an 18650 battery so the proper charger would also be needed. I would imagine you could get another flashlight with a smaller lumen output and put a difuser and red filter and even with the aa capability. Be careful about getting cheap lights as they may not last or live up to the hype they advertise. One piece of advice would be stay away fom coast flashlights a home depot as I had an HP-7 and it did fine until a slight bump of the light created discontinuity on the led.

 

[Swaveab]

RustyGold I have a similar light and was wondering if you sharpened the focus that it showed the led like mine does? That was unexpected when I saw that projected out onto my wall. This light may work, but be cautious about moisture as the O rings and seals are cheap. So far the led has not blinked off on that light.

 

[The Urban Prospector]

I use Olight rechargeable. Durable, clips on hat. Multiple levels of brightness.

 

[Swaveab]

I've heard of Olight. Must be pretty small and light to go on your hat.

BTW, I love that squirrel in Ice Age.

 

[RustyGold]

RustyGold I have a similar light and was wondering if you sharpened the focus that it showed the led like mine does? That was unexpected when I saw that projected out onto my wall. This light may work, but be cautious about moisture as the O rings and seals are cheap. So far the led has not blinked off on that light.

Yes it does and that surprised me as well but still an awesome little flashlight.
Rusty

 

[RustyGold]

You've probably been doing your night digs in a t-shirt lately Rusty Gold. You west coast diggers make me sick!

Nah, when it gets down to 65 degrees we gotta put on gloves too.

 

[63bkpkr]

A headlamp IS the handiest light to have! However having a super bright light is NOT the best one to have as:
It eats up batteries quickly
It is SUPER bright so you can be readily seen from a long distance away
It takes a long time to be able to function again without the light, your eyes must re-adapt to the natural night light you were working in
Super bright lights are expensive and yes they have levels of brightness but hitting the right button does not always happen thus exposing you
I would suggest you purchase a much lower brightness light (50 lumens) as:
It costs way less
Batteries last a lot longer
It will usually have a dim setting as well as its brightest setting and is usually a lot simpler to use than the brighter lights
DO purchase one with a red or green LED as this is really handy

Regardless of which lumen rating light you purchase check how long the batteries last as all LED lights are NOT the same. Petzel or Black Diamond brand lights and other high quality head lamps have circuits that prolong battery life. This may not mean much in the city but when you are out there at night and you need to depend on your light it needs to work. The simple high quality lights do not cost that much more than the Harbor Freight items but they are higher quality and can be depended upon in all types of weather. Check them out at any good outdoor store like REI or online. Seeing at night is GOOD!............63bkpkr

 

[TerryC]

Headlamps work best WITHOUT a cap. Clip-ons REQUIRE a cap. If I feel the need to detect at night, I use the light(s) sold at Rite-aid. They drape around your neck and have white or red modes. ╦╦Ç

 

[HighVDI]

I ended with a simple headlamp. Switch left for red light and right for white.

I was amazed how well the red light worked. Never thought it would help as much as it does. It was actually a two pack at wally world for under 10 bucks. Both had batteries right out of the pack. I'll stick one in my car and one in the truck.

 

[George (MN)]

There are pocket size LED flashlights powered by 2 AAs. They are durable . Most discount stores have them for $2 or so. They will make radio frequency interference out to about 3 feet, even when turned off, at least the ones I tried. Pocket to coil distance should be more than that. As they're not as long or as heavy as big flashlights, they can be in a shirt pocket if being in pants pocket still creates interference. Weight of flashlight & batteries is just a few ounces.

 

[Swaveab]

Good info George.