[Hamilton Felix]

Stupid Prices is a discount store that handles a lot of closeout, overstock, slightly damaged, discontinued or pull dated merchandise. I suspect they are owned by Costco. There's sure a lot of Costco stuff there; also some dented Craftsman tool boxes and Sears items. They include sales tax in their prices, so you pay what's marked and don't add tax.

The Luxeon Star LED is known for high output. Costco has been selling a blister-packed pair of these flashlights that each use a single one-watt Luxeon Star LED. They get $27.79 for two, plus Skagit County's 7.9% sales tax (King County is significantly worse). I got one for $9.25, INCLUDING tax.

The attached images should show you the size of the light. It uses two AA cells. The finish is a bit too slick, and the button on the back turns on only when it's pushed and then rebounds. There will be no using this one as a momentary switch. I like the button on my SureFire better.

The trick lens tends to focus the light from the LED. Screw the lens off, and you have pretty much omnidirectional light. You could pull the lens and hang the light inside your tent; it would make a good lantern.

There are other lights that use the Luxeon Star LED. And there's a Three-watt Luxeon Star, too. I think I may try putting heat shrink on this light. That should make it less slippery, and a bit more comfortable when I hold it in my teeth.

LED flashlight technology is still improving, but it's definitely reached the point where LED lights are very useful and represent the more cost effective alternative in many applications.

[Ought Six]

HF:

Good tip. That is a great price for a 1-watt Luxeon light.

Here is a page that will answer most all your flashlight questions:

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/index1.html

As for Luxeon LED lights:

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews_index/reviews_index_luxeon.htm

I will soon be buying a Nuwai Quantum III with the 3-watt Luxeon LED. I will probably also pick a couple Underwater Kinetics 4AA eLED lights for my emergency kits and around the house. I recently got a 1AAA Dorcy LED light for $6 at WalMart, which is quite bright for such a tiny little pocket light.

[north runner]

No Stupid Prices stores around here especially with an 8.25% sales tax. No Costco either. It seems like I'm seeing more car tail lights using leds.

[Renegade]

Has anyone here tried barrel mounting these new LED lights? I would like to have something with a farther reaching beam. Recommendations??

[Hamilton Felix]

Heat shrink tubing helps comfort, and it's not so slick. Make sure you use the type that does not have thermal glue inside (admittedly, there's an advantage to working in an industrial setting, where a variety of this stuff is available). I used to do this on my MiniMag light.

At night, this particular light illuminates the side of a (light colored) house from close to 50 feet. But it's not a tight beam. And even though it makes a fully charged Streamlight Stinger or a SureFire seem yellow by comparison, its blue-white light is not truly as bright. I'd be interested, though, to see the 3 watt Luxeon Star behind a high grade lens, in a weapons grade light.

[Ought Six]

R:"Has anyone here tried barrel mounting these new LED lights? I would like to have something with a farther reaching beam. Recommendations??"Some 3-watt and 5-watt Luxeon LED lights have the brightness to match the standard tactical lights (60+ lumens). The Nuwai light I am going to get does. Mounting them is no more difficult than any other tactical light. I believe some 3- and 5-watt Luxeon taclights from the bigger manufactuers like Surefire and Streamlight have accessory buttcaps with a cable and pressure switch available that can be adhered to the forearm of your rifle or shotgun. I think the buttcaps for their standard and LED taclights are the same.