Posted: 12/4/2011 6:53:15 PM EDT
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Ok, a few years ago I got on a flashlight kick and bought Streamlight Stinger HP's for everything. I have 5 of them mounted with chargers and extra batteries, in my Truck, in my car, next to the door, next to the bed and in the shed. At the time I thought they were the best thing going and I liked the charger better than the mag light offering, so that's what I standardized on. Now it is getting about time to start replacing batteries, and maybe some bulbs, but in the meantime I have "discovered" LED's and lithium batteries. I just bought my first 5W 18650 powered flashlight and that thing is a lightsaber. Not only is it brighter and smaller than my streamlights, it also lasts longer on a charge, and makes all of my streamlights seem as dull and dim as the streamlights once did to my mag-lights.
So, surfing around I found a few LED conversion bulbs for sale, but after having added LEDs to my GI anglehead and mag-light flashlights, I am hesatant to drop the cash and be dissapointed again. In the maglights and especially the anglehaeads, the Drop-in's SUCK, having only the advantage of amazingly long endurance. The other problem is that the ni-cad batteries suck, and most of them are also needing relaced. But the lithium [123, 18650, and AA] batteries I am using everywhere else totally rock, other than cost. So, before I dump any cash into the streamlights, I figured Arfcom knows everything and there has to be at least a couple dozen people here that have already been there and done that. What should I do? As it stands I have a single AA LED flashlight in my pocket right now that is both brighter and lasts longer than my stingers, but I really like the convenience of having a charger mounted in my vehicles/on my walls and always having a fully charged light ready to go. |
| Ive never had anything but the C4 in my stinger, a guy i work with did the conversion after seeing the difference between his and mine and he is very happy with it. i would however buy the replacement from Streamlight themselves i have heard that some of the LED kits that offer a higher lumen output are of poor quality and have a substantial effect on battery life |
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I used the "Super Stinger" that had the incandescent high output bulb. Then I got an LED Stinger DS in 2007. C4 LED and I love it. Way better than the other Stingers. I also carry a rechargeable 18650 type C4 (Q5?) Cree Surefire 6P clone. I carry these for duty and use them all the time. Get the replacement from Streamlight, don't cheap out or you'll be disappoint.
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I also have a stinger with the car and home chargers. I hardly ever bother to grab it since I have single AA lights that outperform it.
I would be interested in a drop in replacement of the bulb and reflector since it has a smooth reflector and poor beam quality from the factory. This would be a much better investment. Then I can keep that light in a common area on the charger all the time so it's always ready to go. |
I bought a Terralux replacement LED for my Stinger fromLighthound and it made all the difference. I only have a few rechargeable lights, but prefer using them for dog walks, etc. to save on my other batteries. Without the change to the LED I was just leaving that Stinger sitting unused. BTW, I love dealing with Lighthound. Great service and very responsive. 
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never had a streamlight stinger, but I can say that the inexpensively available jetbeam LED lights are fantastic and much smaller thant the streamlight you mentioned.
http://www.batteryjunction.com/jetbeam-jet3-m-xml-op.html |