Handheld Spotlight

carwiz · 11 Mar 2012

Well, if you were asleep, a spotlight wouldn't do you much good either. Why not invest in an alarm system? Many are cheaper than that flashlight.

seekermeister · 11 Mar 2012

Perhaps not, but it is 3 times stronger than the one linnemeyerhere suggested. As I said previously, I want something stronger, so if you have an affordable suggestion, please post it.

I have already considered the other possibilities...alarms, surveillance cameras, etc. and while the light doesn't solve all problems, it is the method that I'm interested in at the moment.

seekermeister · 12 Mar 2012

While roaming about the net, I came across this:

Buy.com - Rokinon 9 x 65mm Enhanced Night Vision 50+ Series Binoculars

It caught my eye, because it is cheap, at least compared to most other night vision devices. However, it appears that it doesn't project a light source, and only collects available light, so I don't know how well that would suit my situation. Just a thought.

Anak · 12 Mar 2012

seekermeister said:

After some problems with my vehicle being broken into and vandalized, I moved it to a location where I could see it from my apartment, but recently, the street light above it has become intermittent, being off as much or more than on. I spoke with the apt. management about it, and was left with the feeling that what I got was lip service about replacing it.

If your parked on a public street, and the pole/street light is in the public right of way, your apt. manager was the wrong person to voice your concern to.

Take a pencil, and paper with you the next time you go to your vehicle, and look at the pole that has the defective light.

Somewhere at eye level maybe higher there should be at least one metallic, could be a hard plastic identification tag with embossed metallic, could be hard plastic numbers nailed to the pole. They could be vertical or horizontal.

The first identifier is usually the Utility acronym, since your in Oklahoma it may resemble OGE, PSO or AEP then it will have a set of numbers like 22588 S34685 following that, if your not sure you will need to go to your local government, and ask what Electric Utility services your area.

Once you find the utility, call their customer service number, and explain what the streetlight is doing, and give them the numeric and/or alphanumeric pole tag that you wrote down. there may be more than one tag so write down any that you see. It would also help if you gave a street location.
It could be a bad bulb, socket, wiring, or automatic day/night sensor.

I do this once every year or so with a streetlight across the street from us. I call up PPl, and anywhere from a few hours to a day or so they come out, and fix it with no charge to me.
Its a public utility, remember?

Here is a listing from the: How do I know if the Commission regulates my electric utility?
I posted this because it has a large list of Utility links that maybe helpful.

seekermeister · 12 Mar 2012

Thanks, but it is not parked in the street, and the street light is owned by the apt. complex.

DustSailor · 12 Mar 2012

Don't know how cheap it is, but there are motion detecting lights, and here is one i saw real quick: Heath Zenith 240 Degree Halogen Motion Sensing Security Light - Bronze SL-5512-BZ - product summary - Bing Shopping

http://www.bing.com/shopping/search?...t=BBBB#x0y2390

Give walkers a scare

marsmimar · 12 Mar 2012

I've been using this Black & Decker VEC157BD for over 2 years without any problems. It's rechargeable (either AC or 12VDC) and a charge lasts about two months. Just to play it safe I recharge it once a month. It's rated at 2 million candlepower and over 96,000 lumen. It also has 2 white LEDs on either side of the main bulb so you can use it as a standard flashlight in enclosed areas without blinding yourself or others. And it retails for $40 - $60 depending on sales and venues like eBay or Amazon.

http://servicenet.blackanddecker.com...6,VEC157BD.pdf

Trucidation · 12 Mar 2012

Reviews for that are pretty appalling. Won't burglars just rip the lights out of wherever they've been mounted? Unless you can secure them up a lamppost or something.

Edit: was referring to DustSailor's post about the Heath Zeniths.

seekermeister · 12 Mar 2012

marsmimar said:

I've been using this Black & Decker VEC157BD for over 2 years without any problems. It's rechargeable (either AC or 12VDC) and a charge lasts about two months. Just to play it safe I recharge it once a month. It's rated at 2 million candlepower and over 96,000 lumen. It also has 2 white LEDs on either side of the main bulb so you can use it as a standard flashlight in enclosed areas without blinding yourself or others. And it retails for $40 - $60 depending on sales and venues like eBay or Amazon.

http://servicenet.blackanddecker.com...6,VEC157BD.pdf

Your reference to it's brightness is confusing, because it is contrary to everything I've read so far in regards to the ratio between candlepower and lumens.
Does anyone know of a definitive means of converting between these values?

EDIT: I found this article:

http://www.theledlight.com/lumens.html

which may explain all of this, but I'm still reading it and trying to digest it.

Duzzy · 12 Mar 2012

seekermeister said:

Your reference to it's brightness is confusing, because it is contrary to everything I've read so far in regards to the ratio between candlepower and lumens.
Does anyone know of a definitive means of converting between these values?

EDIT: I found this article:

Lumens, Footcandles, Candlepower, Measuring Light Output

which may explain all of this, but I'm still reading it and trying to digest it.

Read here OnlineConversion Forums - View Single Post - Comparing lumens and candlepower? ,I found it helpful and if you want you can read the full thread by clicking the link in the top right corner, also this candle power / lumens has similar info.

I don't know about this stuff but Black & Decker has a later version rated at 105520 Luminous Intensity - Black & Decker Tools | V-3 Million Power Series.

Reading some reviews on Amazon you'll see it's another mixed bag of opinions not that there were many.