Torches.

[TeeDee]

Anyone have a good answer for why the majority of torches are produced in Black??

As in , " Really-bloody-difficult-to-find-when-you-want-to-as-its-an-emergency-Black "



Just saying , I'm pretty sure no torch manufacturers care what I think by myself and will read this , but what do you guys think?

 

[Nice65]

Anodising. Aluminium anodising is available in colours, but it's a thin layer. Heavy duty torches (as all manufacturers imagine theirs are) use a very thick layer of ano, essentially aluminium 'rust'. Hard ano is grey to black, it protects the reactive aluminium from corrosion and is non conductive.

Cost may may be a factor too, I'm not sure, but it's the most commonly used. Any coloured ano I've seen shows the silver metal beneath and is easily scratched.

I hang a Firefly tritium marker on most of mine, makes them easy to find.

 

[TeeDee]

To be fair It was more a , a brighter colour would be better !! kinda thought/comment.

Or maybe , what would make a better more useful torch?



If you look at Exotac stuff the Bright Orange is a good move.

http://www.exotac.com/product-list/



A Glow in the dark Torch ( Yes I know some really cheap ones are produced ) by a decent make like Fenix would be a good thing in my book.

Something with an inbuilt tritium tube would be even better rather than having to attach ancillary bits and bobs imo.



One of my favourite little ( under rated ) torches is my 9V Pal light . Its permanently 'ON' in glow mode which can last upto Two years ( amazing! )

https://www.amazon.co.uk/PALight-Survival-Light-with-Strobe/dp/B013JTYZRW

 

[Nice65]

I've still got a Pal light too. Top of its game back at the time, the moon mode is awesome.

Solarforce P1 comes in several colours, most of them muted, but one is bright yellow. Glass reinforced nylon though, not aluminium.

http://www.flashaholics.co.uk/products/solarforce-p1-flashlight-host.html

Personally, I'd like all manufacturers to cut a slot or two so we can glue in our own tritium markers. I think the reason they're not fitted, or housing for them provided, is their illegality in the US which is a huge marketplace for lights. I've got an Eagletac D25 C with a glowy clicky switch that works well overnight, but most of the glow tailcaps lose their glow quickly. Dots of epoxy mixed with glow in the dark granules work really well if the glow dust is good quality. I used to mess about with Glow Inc., it'll easily glow all night.

http://glow.glowinc.com/glow-powder/

I'm sure there must be a similar product available in the UK.

 

[TeeDee]

I agree the Pal Torch is awesome. Someone please refigure it for the modern age.

Total agree a tritium light built in would be a great idea or some sort of long term residual ' glow'

 

[Nice65]

Tape and signs are available that glow for ages, used as guidance during blackouts. But I found these.

http://www.glowtec.co.uk/fret-finders.htm

No idea of glow times for them, the long glow stuff tends to be mixed into PVC or nylon and is thicker.

 

[Jared]

Google "flashlight baking"

Convoy S2+'s come in Gray, Desert Tan, Red, Green, Blue or Black. Convoy's main store is on Aliexpress.
https://convoy.aliexpress.com/store...389.html?spm=2114.12010612.0.0.5bdadf47H3NAXu


Can also get glow in the dark rubber tailcap boots (buttons).

Sunwayman (and probably others) did release special editions with tritium. M11R Ti was one IIRC.

 

[Bishop]

Anyone have a good answer for why the majority of torches are produced in Black??

Tactical marketing ?

The colours are out there but it's still a niche thing I guess for high end half decent torches. For example the 'J5 Tactical V1' flashlights do come in a glorious electric pink and a vibrant orange that reminds me of Tatrazine laden ice-cream from the seventies. They also do a more subtle urban-blue digiphlage that's quite tasteful.

That said the Pelican 3310 with its photoluminescent case does tick a lot of boxes but sadly at £60+ each a tad expensive. Getting a can of glow-in-the-dark paint and spraying my existing torch is more likely at the moment.

 

[santaman2000]

Tactical marketing ? ......

Probably more true than you might realize. Not necessarily for the wanna-bes, but most manufacturers do aim for large contracts with professional customers (police, fire dept, military, etc.) At least two manufacturers do offer products in colors: Maglite, and Streamlight. I'd also prefer one in a brighter color.

 

[Jared]

Not sure if this idea will work, rather dependant on the diameter of the torch, but to use cricket bat grip over the torch.

Can have a bright pink one then

http://www.prodirectcricket.com/products/Readers-Octopus-Grip-Pink-Bat-Grips-64128.aspx

 

[TeeDee]

Good thinking Jared.

I think I will be exploring getting one painted in Hi Viz Orange and GITD powder.

 

[Jared]

Also a UK company, that made orange torch... or used to, seems to have been discontinued or something

http://emergency-services.exposurelights.com/

Their XS worklite gave me the idea, its a little cr123 with a silicone yellow band

http://exposurelights.com/marine-lights/work-lights/exposure-xs-work-light

 

[mr_magicfingers]

I've a red Convoy S2+, they also do them in blue and grey. Very well reviewed and cheap too. https://www.aliexpress.com/store/pr...688.html?spm=2114.12010612.0.0.5bdadf47NbrPrW

 

[5teep]

All my torches seem to be black. To counter that I mix some Glow in the Dark powder in a little Epoxy and spread it round the rim of the torch so that it glows brightly after I switch it off. Good powder glows for a long time.

 

[Trotsky]

Glow in the dark heat shrink tubing is available online, shrink that over the torch body and you should have an easier job finding it.

 

[santaman2000]

You can also just buy a roll of bright colored (reflective) duct tape and wrap the black ones.

 

[Jared]

Just looked at Convoy's store on aliexpress.

https://convoy.aliexpress.com/store/330416

Orange, Cyan, and Purple S2+s now available, and remembered this thread.

 

[Robson Valley]

When we have a total power outage in the night, it is also totally dark. Star light, that's it.
I can't find a torch or a candle, no matter what color they might have been.
Pink, orange and black feel the same.

I really like the idea of some sort of glow-marker. That would be useful.
There must be something like that here but I've not noticed.

In the meantime, I have a large, battery-powered LED 'touch-light' in the bathroom.
All I have to do is find it by feel. Then 3 brightness levels by touch.

 

[Billy-o]

I suppose that secretly most people don't want their torch to look like it fell out of a christmas cracker, hence the lack of appetite for coloured ano.

If someone made a 3-speed 300 lumen, smooth Ti, AAA, floody, hiCRI, twisty tailstander with a magnet and a trit in the base, I'd buy one (at least ) ... probably wouldn't much care what it cost either ... but then would there be a need for other lights? Might just end the industry

 

[Jared]

Emisar's new D4S has 16 auxiliary LEDs, that in low power mode look like trits, and have a ~20 year run time on a 5500mAh 26650.

ToyKeeper's review: http://budgetlightforum.com/node/61509
US Preorders: http://www.mtnelectronics.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=955
Everywhere else: https://intl-outdoor.com/emisar-d4s-26650-high-power-led-flashlight-p-932.html

Heed the warnings about heat... will melt synthetic fabrics if accidentally switches on turbo near them.