Blinking, strobe, and SOS modes, have they ever been useful to anyone?

[Dude Dudeson]

I recently discovered a true use for strobe - I think....

I work on the road all day, so public restrooms are an unfortunate fact of my life.

Another unfortunate fact is a lot of them use timers and/or motion sensors for lighting, and once in a while I'll have a light go out on me.

Having a Quark Mini 123 on me has helped out several times just in the past six months, but recently (due to it's tendency to skip modes) I had the strobe activate, and it made the restroom light come back on.

Funny, for once I was actually HAPPY about this light's tendency to skip modes!

 

[kaichu dento]

My point why would you want to buy an item that really would give you problems when you think you'll need it the most. It's really not a true strobe all it comes down to is a fast blinking light that will burn up your battery fast.
A Strobe would flash 2 or 3 times a second in sharp burst of light that could last for days.... If it were the right equipment.

Point taken but just remember that everyone uses a different set of criteria for their choices and it's not uncommon to see people change their minds here on a regular basis.

It's good to be able to identify your personal needs, but also a good thing to understand that others have different sets of needs.

By the way, I like your user name - somehow seems fitting for CPF.

 

[hotlight]

strobe has been useful for me while riding my bike at night.... I don't keep it constantly on, I'll shine it in the direction of "late stoppers"/"barely-yielding right turners" before hitting the intersection.(this is a light clipped to "chest strap" with one click to strobe, HDS)... used it at the airport(post 9-11) to signal my ride while waiting at the AA terminal- again, not constantly on-noticed the Rav4(classy machine) and signaled, no circling the airport for my friends.(not a life saver, I know... but the fastest I've left the airport. Didn't even park, pulled along side the parked cars and picked me up before the Parking Police could respond)


Strobe is(IMO) to get attention. Unless it is really bright(1500lm+??), then I'd consider it for self defense/offense. Strobe can disorient someone that YOU are attacking/surprising, if they are attacking you... I don't think strobe will help you out much.


"disco UI"- I have some, it is annoying to have to cycle thru all the modes(or wait to reset) if a mistake was made..... but I knew what I was buying.

 

[alightinthedark]

strobe has been useful for me while riding my bike at night.... I don't keep it constantly on, I'll shine it in the direction of "late stoppers"/"barely-yielding right turners" before hitting the intersection.(this is a light clipped to "chest strap" with one click to strobe, HDS)... used it at the airport(post 9-11) to signal my ride while waiting at the AA terminal- again, not constantly on-noticed the Rav4(classy machine) and signaled, no circling the airport for my friends.(not a life saver, I know... but the fastest I've left the airport. Didn't even park, pulled along side the parked cars and picked me up before the Parking Police could respond)


Strobe is(IMO) to get attention. Unless it is really bright(1500lm+??), then I'd consider it for self defense/offense. Strobe can disorient someone that YOU are attacking/surprising, if they are attacking you... I don't think strobe will help you out much.


"disco UI"- I have some, it is annoying to have to cycle thru all the modes(or wait to reset) if a mistake was made..... but I knew what I was buying.

1. They do sell bike lights which are made to go on your bike but it's not the right tool for the job. You will find many LED bike lights.

2. Unless you are using a military grade strobe, the only self defense or offense you will get is to use it as a bat. It might have to take a second or two for my eyes to adjust to it but after that it's a great target and you will be one as well remember the old rule never bring a flashlight to a gun fight. You also could be arrested for assault.

3. You would be totally out of your mind it use this at an airport, If I saw you using a strobe at the airport I would take you in for several hours just so I would have a report on you in case your doing something or will do something. They do not need a reason to hold you in fact they are looking for you to stand out, go ahead and make there day.

4. It is annoying to have to cycle thru all the modes. For a professional you'll be looking as if you have faulty equipment or your just to stupid to use it correctly. Why would you use your flashlight when your Stun gun would be the next weapon your training tells you to use.

 

[Xacto]

[...]Take this point as an example your on a battlefield, under cover, you want to check your maps with your squad and you flashlight was set to low but it came on in a strobe mode [...]

Replace "strobe" with "high" and you have the same effect. As stated a few lines above - my first interest in the strobe feature was because of a report about the Gladius. Nowadays (just a few months later), I see this feature as a tool to mark my car in case of an emergency - even during the daylight.

Cheers
Thorsten

 

[noisebeam]

I use strobe every day during daylight hours as my flashlight (Fenix L2D) is used as a headlight. When it is dark I use turbo mode. I am very glad strobe is readily accessible and switchable between strobe and turbo while I am cycling as I often find myself riding in the period (commuting hours) when I transition from solid to strobe and the reverse. I take this same flashlight camping and maybe, but hopefully not, the SOS will be used someday.

 

[tandem]

1. They do sell bike lights which are made to go on your bike but it's not the right tool for the job. You will find many LED bike lights.

I ride more than 12,000km a year. I'm quite certain I can pick the right tool for my particular use case on a bike.

No self contained commonly available bike light is as bright as most run of the mill high quality flashlights, which is why I use lights such as Fenix LD10 or LD20 on my road bike. Bright constant light, bright strobe light. Both output modes have their place on the bike.

You seem to write about feature preferences as if the only use for a high output flashlight is mounted to a gun or in the holster of a law enforcement officer. Is a strobe of great "tactical value" to such folks? I've no idea but suspect not.

Is a strobe or fast beacon output useful for a great many other purposes? Absolutely, as a number of folks here have attested to.

You may not like strobe / beacon / "disco" modes and that's your prerogative but many others do. Fortunately vendors offer lights both with and without such features, so you don't have to buy lights that offer strobe outputs and I don't have to buy lights that are missing what is to me an important feature.

 

[alightinthedark]

I have nothing negative to say about the different types of Strobe, Flashing or blinking modes on LED lights. What I'm trying to say is that you should be able to buy any type of LED you want and you should be able to use them anyway you want as long as it is not illegal.

I know it's real hard for all flashlight makers to understand this but most people only want a flashlight to go on and off for them Low, Medium and High is more that enough.

My problem is that the Strobe, Blinking, Flashing or S.O.S. creates more problems than I need to have to deal with as you will never know what mode the light will be in when switched on.

So unless they can offer a switch for the strobe only on a flashlight. All I'll ever want would be a normal flashlight, 6 inches long with a Rechargeable 18650 battery with a low, medium and strong out put without a strobe.

All I'm saying is that all good flashlight do not have to have a Strobe and all good Strobes do not have to be flashlights.

There is room for a combo of the two but in the end more flashlights will be sold without the strobe, than Flashlights with Strobes.

Each one would function better as a stand alone unit as well.

Please name one maker of a high powered led 500 lumen or more that does not have a strobe. Name one.

 

[hotlight]

1. They do sell bike lights which are made to go on your bike but it's not the right tool for the job. You will find many LED bike lights.

2. Unless you are using a military grade strobe, the only self defense or offense you will get is to use it as a bat. It might have to take a second or two for my eyes to adjust to it but after that it's a great target and you will be one as well remember the old rule never bring a flashlight to a gun fight. You also could be arrested for assault.

3. You would be totally out of your mind it use this at an airport, If I saw you using a strobe at the airport I would take you in for several hours just so I would have a report on you in case your doing something or will do something. They do not need a reason to hold you in fact they are looking for you to stand out, go ahead and make there day.

4. It is annoying to have to cycle thru all the modes. For a professional you'll be looking as if you have faulty equipment or your just to stupid to use it correctly. Why would you use your flashlight when your Stun gun would be the next weapon your training tells you to use.

1) Yes, they do sell many bike lights that go on your bike(some VERY good).... How are they not right for the job? they are made for bikes. I use a Malkoff MD2 Hi/Low with M61W mounted on the "fish blocks"(think thats what they are called) because I don't want a dedicated/specific bike light(the MD2 is constantly on). Red Superflash on back.

I use the HDS clipped on my back pack "chest/sternum strap" for additional (directional)lighting and strobe.

2) I use my strobe to get attention, not for self defense....if your flashlight is your ONLY "weapon"(not all of us carry guns---Im pro-gun btw), then yes it can be used for self defense, I'm not saying you will win against a gun or even fists. And that "second or two" might be enough to get away or take advantage of the situation. Better than nothing.
Don't take a light to a gunfight- I'll keep that in mind.


3) I guess I'm out of my mind then, because I'd to it again. I use discretion when using my strobe, and LEO use discretion also(in what they "pursue"). "Make there day"-I doubt some random 3 second burst of strobe is going to **** them off enough to detain me for hours. (waste their time questioning me/looking into my background--they'll see that I was US Marine and probably let me go)....

4) agree on #4. I will say this: "professionals" know how to use his/her equipment.(no mistakes)

keep in mind that most people using strobe/SOS etc. aren't tactical operators involved in top secret, super covert missions, where a slip of the button equals death for their "squad"/platoon/team.

if you are involved in top secret, super covert missions- then get a("military grade") strobe only light if needed, and a seperate low level light(or cover the lens/head with your hand until you reach the desired mode)

 

[DM51]

I'm not really sure why this reeeeally old topic has been dragged out of its grave again for the umpteenth time... there are dozens of other (fruitless, pointless) threads on the same theme, and none ever reach a conclusion. But it can continue as long as it remains civil.

@ alightinthedark - please stop using that non-default font for your posts - it's annoying for other users.

 

[tandem]

Please name one maker of a high powered led 500 lumen or more that does not have a strobe. Name one.

I suspect very high output lights, except for maybe the Deal Extreme variants, are not sold in very large quantities and for that reason manufacturers are by default forced to cover as many bases as they can, which means such lights often as not have strobe modes.

Given how many AA driven lights can be bought with or without a strobe, it seems logical to assume that light makers are in fact responsive to user demands, when they can afford to be.

 

[alightinthedark]

I know that better and brighter LED are being made just about everyday so I guess that sooner or latter they will make a very small 6" powerful 3.7 V 18650 battery powered LED Flashlight with a switch that starts on off and rolls up from 0 to 1000 lumens Then Strobe 3 or 4 per second they roll down from a 1000 to 0 then off totally adjustable along the way would work for me.

I'll see it one day and I still could live without the Strobe..

 

[kaichu dento]

I'm not really sure why this reeeeally old topic has been dragged out of its grave again for the umpteenth time... there are dozens of other (fruitless, pointless) threads on the same theme, and none ever reach a conclusion. But it can continue as long as it remains civil.

This is the best post so far, and far more conclusive than the rest of the thread.

 

[zero7one]

From a Law Enforcement standpoint, the strobe feature is a great tool. Aside from gathering the attention of motorists, it can be effectively used in clearing a dark room while disorienting the suspect. It takes practice, but my partner and I can get one of us in the room while the strobe is distracting the suspect and enter undetected. It has its purposes, but it is not an everyday functional use. I will not buy a flashlight without the strobe feature.

 

[alightinthedark]

From a Law Enforcement standpoint, the strobe feature is a great tool. Aside from gathering the attention of motorists, it can be effectively used in clearing a dark room while disorienting the suspect. It takes practice, but my partner and I can get one of us in the room while the strobe is distracting the suspect and enter undetected. It has its purposes, but it is not an everyday functional use. I will not buy a flashlight without the strobe feature.

I'm pro-Military and Law Enforcement. I have to agree with you to a point, then I would still like to agree but the science is not yet there yet. I have not seen a non Military Strobe that comes close to working as good as gas followed by a flash bang to clear out the rest of the room before clearing the place. I'm talking worst case, I'm also talking about your training, really have you been trained for use of force with your flashlight part of basic training right we all know that we also know that there is no training on using a strobe nor is there a light that's been approved.

You really do not need a Strobe as just the light it's self is enough to impair you sight for a while. I would do it as I was trained to do it and until I'm retrained on equipment that proven I'm not going to change anything.

Lot's of stuff out there I hope you find something you like,

 

[Lumenz]

What I have gathered from reading this thread is this:

1) Strobe is great if you are a bicyclist
2) Strobe is useless for everyone else

There are uses for it that others have found, but they are more novelty than useful.

 

[chanjyj]

What I have gathered from reading this thread is this:

1) Strobe is great if you are a bicyclist
2) Strobe is useless for everyone else

There are uses for it that others have found, but they are more novelty than useful.

No. Strobe (beacon actually, does that qualify?) is great for signalling

 

[Connor]

Some people like blinky modes - some people don't like blinky modes.
Some people have a use for blinky modes - some people don't have a use for blinky modes.

Did I forget anything? :nana: :devil:

Nothing to get all worked up about IMHO. Buy what you like, if a flashlight does not have the modes you want, buy another model/brand - there's really enough choice out there.

 

[zero7one]

I'm talking worst case, I'm also talking about your training, really have you been trained for use of force with your flashlight part of basic training right we all know that we also know that there is no training on using a strobe nor is there a light that's been approved.

I'm confused. Was that a question or a statement? Yes, I have received training on the use of the strobe feature of a light. Was it the entire course? No. But the technique was taught. Will it work 100% of the time? No, but it is another tool to use. And approved by who? The military? Individual LE Agencies? Or the person using the light with whatever technique that they feel fits the situation. The flashlight does not fall into a use of force scenario unless you use it as an impact tool.

Not every feature of every tool created is used by everyone. How many people only use a screwdriver to either screw or unscrew, well, a screw? We adapt and overcome with the tools we have. If you don't like the strobe feature, don't use it. If you find a way to use it, do so.