# Two powerful lights



## black bear 84 (Jan 26, 2006)

For most of the outings to the wild places, I have been well serve by a Surefire E2e flashlight (60 lumens) and an Aurora headlamp.

But about three years ago I acquired a shack near a stream in some good black bear country.
Coming back at night or going in before daybreak in the narrow trails, I had some encounter with bears that rob me of some sleep at night.

I promptly got the most powerful flashlight at the time, a Surefire Guardian 500 lumens light, that run in those small 3 Volts 123's batteries.
The Surefire uses six of them for a 20 minutes run.

Although expensive to run, the 500 lumens illuminate the trails like daylight, and I am sure I have avoided some serious encounters, as I don't see a bear that can face or miss to get scare by a powerful light like this.

The only problem was to get the beast her feed, as just a 20 minute walk down to the river, was consuming a full complement of 6 cells, at $2.00 for the actual price for each battery, the couple of trips were costing me $24.00

With the help from friends from the flashlight forum, I put together a flashlight based on a very well known "host" in 2 D format, a battery carrier with capacity for 6 cells carry the high current rechargeable Nimhs batteries, this carrier have a charging jack in the back, so taking batteries out is not needed.

A special reflector in thick walled aluminum was needed to cope with the heat of the super bulb, Pyrex lens, and a highly modified switch for the high temperature bulb, completed the flashlight that was to be denominated the Black Bear 720 lumens.

Yes the light throws 220 lumens more than the Surefire M-6, have a run time of 40 minutes on the Nimhs rechargeable batteries (double than the run time of the M-6) and in reality is not that much bigger or heavier than the M-6.

FREE to run and more lumen output, and double the run time on a charge.
What is not to like!
My solution to the battery hungry Surefire M-6.

Here is a picture of the two lights 
At top is the Black Bear 720 lumens; it also shows the Rolls Royce battery carrier that uses for the 6 Nimhs batteries. This carrier is made of aluminum and Delrin.

The lower picture is of the Surefire M-6 and also shows the plastic carrier with the six 123's disposables batteries.

This light can be recharged with any camera charger or with a RC charger (used for RC races) without taking the batteries out of the carrier.










A few nights ago, I conducted a shoot-out against my 12 x 8 tool shed at 30 yards distance.

Here are the results.

Surefire M-6 (500 lumens)










Black Bear 720 lumens










Granted that not many members will need a flashlight with this kind of lumens output, still the Black Bear will beat a one million candlepower spotlight, all in a small package of 10 inches and weighting at 23 oz.
I will say that is an ideal light to keep in car or truck, it even fit in my glove compartment. And of course to walk those trails at night where the pesky black bears travel.

Respectfully
black bear 84


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## RYANINMICHIGAN (Sep 27, 2006)

are you selling this or offering to tell us how to upgrade and or the $$ invested?


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## bigrackmack (Aug 10, 2004)




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## Rugerdog (Sep 19, 2005)

Was this test done in Nigeria?


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## NEMichsportsman (Jul 3, 2001)

Guys Black bear isnt selling or spamming he just likes to mess around with some pretty powerful flashlights.

I would like to see if he has any details for the mods he mentioned I would be interested in creating such a creature that is rechargeable?????


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## kbkrause (Feb 12, 2002)

NEMichsportsman said:


> I would be interested in creating such a creature that is rechargeable?????


It is rechargeable.



black bear 84 said:


> This light can be recharged with any camera charger or with a RC charger (used for RC races) without taking the batteries out of the carrier.


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## Rugerdog (Sep 19, 2005)

Oh, God...! This guy's gotten to the mods...*RUN!!*


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## NEMichsportsman (Jul 3, 2001)

kbkrause said:


> It is rechargeable.



Thanks for restating the obvious thats why I am interested in it.

Unless you have the details why don't you go play with some matches in a closet or under a bed someplace.


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## black bear 84 (Jan 26, 2006)

NENMichsporsman,

Glad to see that somebody is interested in the hobby, if you want to build the light yourself, it is easy (but not inexpensive).

The place to go is Candlepower Forums, and do a search for [email protected] 11.

Plenty of information will come out in the search and instructions on how to built one with parts that *may or may not* will be available from the different vendors in CPF.

You need, high heat kit for the modification of the switch, a metal reflector (so it will not melt) a Pyrex lens, a carrier similar to the one pictured that may or may not be available, as they are made on small runs.
You need nine high current high capacity batteries; I use the best, Powerex 2700 mah. also Sanyo 2500's are good.

And you need a charger, I use RC to connect directly to the charging port, with no need to remove the batteries, but any camera charger can be used to charge them, by removing the batteries from the carrier.

All these parts can be put together with time and paying different people and shipping, several times.
[/COLOR] 
*Rugerdod*

If anybody think that I am spamming the forum to sell my own build Black Bear 720 light, you may be right!
If making a few and selling them to fund others projects in which I am working, is called a business, so be it.

If the moderator wants to remove the post, it is welcome. It doesn&#8217;t make a different to me because what I ask for them barely cover what have spend in getting the parts and the time used to make one.

If you want a powerful light and don't want to get one from the spammer or don't want to build your own, I recommend you get the Surefire M-6 (the other option) at $400 and using $12.00 in batteries every 20 minutes, is just what you deserve to have.

If you are only going to post to criticize, why waste your time and post at all, unless of course gossip is your hobby in the forums. So go ahead and rant all you want.

black bear


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## Rugerdog (Sep 19, 2005)

Umm, Ok. I see your point, now. Your first post was confusing.


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