I have a new favorite LED flashlight. ( my 43rd birthday was last week )
It is the ( new ) "T3" by Inova. [ Inova has recently upgraded the T3 by replacing the LED with a new K2 type LED, and changed the reflector and the lens. ] The new one is the one I am reporting here. http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/theshorelinemarket_1954_23972746 I believe the hexagonal shape tells you that you have a K2 type LED, and I assume size has something to do with the watts and brightness. Inova is claiming 5.8 watts for the T3, but that is not on the package. Tonight I compared the light pattern in a field behind my house by shining at some tree tops that were about 150 to 200 feet away. The other lights were the two K2's that I reported on last month, and my brightest xenon flashlight. The T3 had the best light pattern of all the lights and shined the light the farther than the other LED's. In addition the T3 uses 3 lithium batteries instead of just 2 like the others. The T3 also seems to be more rugged, more water-resistant, and the exterior is more appealing to the eye. All three flashlights cost in the $ 55 range. The T3 ( and its little sibling, the T1 ) are now available at Fry's Electronics. I would "highly" recommend this flashlight for any caving trip where you need to light up borehole passage for several hours. I also compared the T3 to my brightest flashlight the Black Ice Hero ( BIH ). The BIH still wins the long distance contest, but in all other areas, the T3 blows it away. In summary, don't buy the Dorcy K2 flashlight at Sears. For the same amount of money, you can have an incredible flashlight, the Inova T3. And unless, you are needing a small flashlight to save weight, I would skip the Browning Tactical Hunter, and go with the Inova T3. In summary, this is a huge improvement in flashlight technology. Just a few years ago, if you wanted a really bright hand-held flashlight, you were limited to xenon lights like the Princeton Tec Surge, and it was heavy. And compared to lugging a Wheatlamp thru a cave, this flashlight is much lighter. They need to rename this flashlight the Sarawak model, as I am guessing it would light up a small portion of the Sarawak Chamber. I think the only way to really improve this flashlight would be to have a rechargeable battery that last longer. Annodizing in other colors might be helpful, as it is easy to lose a black flashlight in the dark. I plan to put some neon duct tape around the handle. David Locklear P.S. For more information on the new LED's go to: http://www.luxeonstar.com/about-us.php --------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
