[Seahawk]

Quick Sea Story - From Last Night

My wife is a very light sleeper. 3:30AM dogs bark my wife awakes. She sees, from our second story bedroom, a light at the tool and equipment shed, just under a 1/4 mile from the house.

She wakes me up.

This is where things go south, preparedness-wise. BTW, it is dark outside: dark, dark, no moon and cloud cover. Which is good.

The binoculars I always keep upstairs are MIA, Cyclops Searchlight, on the charger, puts out zero lumen when I do the closet test with the red lens...phone is also downstairs. Pistol check is good.

No phone, no lights...Gilligan's f'ing Island.

I gather the tools and head back upstairs. Light at the shed is out. F me.

This has happened before. I really prefer to walk up with the big Cyclops searchlight, armed, and make noise, listen, turn on the light for a second, move.

It has worked the two times I have needed it.

So, this time, I get out to my truck and do a quick start and turn all the light to bright and head up the driveway. I stop half way and watch, all lights on. I can see everything and the truck is in reverse, brakes on. Something happens and some nice soybeans are going to get run over.

Nothing. I slowly drive up. Point the truck lights at the shed from the right side of the driveway.

We have not had issues in 15 years so the shed is open, the door to the tool shed is unlocked, tractor parking bay doors open...a Flea Market in other words. I get out, truck running and do a quick search.

While I am there the lights come back on. I jumped like a white Dominique Wilkins.

It turns out that the florescent light switch was turned on but only one was intermittently working...it would flicker on and off about ten minutes apart. I had turned the lights on yesterday afternoon and did not notice the cycle.

I turn off the lights, lock the doors, curse my stupidity and return to the house.

Now, I need to fix a lot in the chain of ignorance, but concerning hand held searchlights, any recommendations? I want to shoot down B-17's with the next version and am willing to pay for it.

I bought a smaller Cyclops for the next few weeks, $30, but I really want a red lens capable, then light up the night version.

Suggestions, recommendation of manufacturers, real world experience?