Has the S.O.S blinky mode ever saved anyone's life?

[RedLED]

No, you did not go off topic, that was me, but I want people who may not know some of these features may not work in all environments.

And you are correct to avoid reporting things, there is an old Chinese proverb, back when they had things like that and it went:" Avoid the authorities at all costs!"

However, if you were on a lake, river the open sea, that SOS would be taken very serious and I want to let you all know! I would never pull a test stunt like that in places like that! or the open desert! where I live. However, as dumb as people are around here, no one may understand what it is, either, now that I think about it?

That also includes the wealthy population, I can head a father to his daughter, "Oh, look daddy, someone blinking a light way out in the nasty old desert, oh yes my dear, how simply charming, oh my, we better get to bed it is after 7pm, and what with golf early tomorrow, good nite, Buffy, nighty nite daddy."

Yes, I made that up but is is so close to the truth it is hard to believe.

So you need to be in a place where the properly trained and knowledgeable people will get right on it.

 

[mega_lumens]

A friend is a commercial pilot and I asked if he can identify an SOS signal from a beacon. He said he doesn't recall even learning it and if he did, doesn't remember SOS signal. I've also read that SOS signaling is not taught in navies because of modern tech.

 

[Benoit]

Never heard any stories, but as a scuba diver, whis could be usefull (diving from shore at night) or Boat wont start after dive at night.

 

[Search]

In my 4 years in law enforcement I've never heard of anyone even being found by even having a light. Then again most times I searched for people they weren't trying to be found

Seriously though I'd be the guy that tapped it out if need be. I don't have a multi-mode light besides my E2DL and it's never been carried for anything. I'm a single-mode type of guy. Simple and what not.

 

[ForrestChump]

If no one is looking... and you are not in the woods or on the water, you are out of luck.

 

[Jerimoth]

I was on a search in NH a few weeks ago and two of us found the lose hiker and radioed the coordinates to other searches. The terrain was so gnarly that others coming to the scene needed illumination to tell them where to go. I had a TK35 set on strobe pointed in the trees and others came to the scene with a litter by walking toward the light. Strobe mode more effective in that case than SOS. GPS alone would have worked but it can be hard to narrow down on a scene when terrain is challenging and you're trying to walk and look at gps at same time

 

[PartyPete]

I was on a search in NH a few weeks ago and two of us found the lose hiker and radioed the coordinates to other searches. The terrain was so gnarly that others coming to the scene needed illumination to tell them where to go. I had a TK35 set on strobe pointed in the trees and others came to the scene with a litter by walking toward the light. Strobe mode more effective in that case than SOS. GPS alone would have worked but it can be hard to narrow down on a scene when terrain is challenging and you're trying to walk and look at gps at same time

NH is no joke. Lots of people getting lost up there. I volunteered as part of a search 10+ years ago near the mountains in February and it's not somewhere I'd want to be lost. A strobe would have been nice. Talk about a needle in a haystack, poor girl wasn't found. I think that was one of the first times the idea of an edc light made sense to me.

 

[grndslm]

I was thinking about this before but didn't have the time to find out what the exact names of these "electronic flares" were called.

But if I were a pilot or even an off-shore boater, I would DEFINITELY have both an "electronic laser flare" and a bright light with long-lasting beacon feature. BOTH!

This site has all the major competitors on one page, but the "Greatland Green Rescue Laser Flare" is by and far the best (from what I hear) -- http://www.oceanmedix.com/?action=sku&sku=cOM-GL_GRLF

Great review -- http://www.cruisingworld.com/how/electronic-vs-traditional-flares

Video example #1 -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Olqk0cbGUjQ&t=8m12s

Video example #2 -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOxSA0kHW2w&t=0m20s

AMAZING TECHNOLOGY. OMG!!

 

[NoNotAgain]

Not a light, but a friend was out hiking the foot hill outside Las Vegas. Somehow he got up a canyon and got trapped on a ledge. The only signaling equipment he had was an iPad. He used the reflective surface to reflect the sun for a couple of hours before someone spotted the flashes of light. Whether or not a flash light would have been seen, I've not a clue.

IMO the beacon mode of some lights would have been better than SOS as the batteries aren't depleted as fast. I would have been grateful for any signalling devise at that point.

A flash light would IMO been better especially if this would have occurred late in the afternoon. He found out first hand that a warm sunny day turns chilly as the evening comes.

 

[jso902]

I would imagine beacon mode is to maximize battery life while still sending a message.
If I was trapped in the woods, desert or what not, I'd rather have a beacon / light in hopes that it attracts someone's attention.
Something is better than nothing.

 

[Pixelight]

Hello everyone, Considering most flashlights are black in color, I think the best use of using SOS is to configure your collection in the white sand forming the letters SOS for an aircraft to see.

 

[Going_Supernova]

There are a lot of amateur radio operators (hams) and Boy Scouts that know what this means ... - - - ... I think a lot of military veterans would be familiar with it, too.

In regard to the laser flare thing, I think that it is an effective signalling device, but I wonder about the legality, at least in U.S. territories. Last I knew, it was illegal to laze any aircraft in the U.S.A. There may be some kind of exemption for emergencies, I don't know, but if the situation was life or death, surviving to be prosecuted would be better than the alternative!

None of my lights have an SOS or beacon function, but I'm not opposed to them being on some lights, as long as they are not in the way. I would not want to have to cycle through them all the time during normal operation, but operable with a separate control would be fine with me.

 

[d88]

Laser flares are legal to own and use in the states as long it is for an emergency use. The greatland laser flare itself does not blind as it works more as a diffuse funnel effect, which increases the area it covers rather than pointing a direct light source (normal laser) at say a pilot.

 

[Jiri]

I see this mode included in so many lights, I am just wondering if it has any actual use let alone reason to exist. I can understand a beacon mode and sorta understand a flashy mode, but SOS mode?

Have you ever seen movie Panic Room with Jodie Foster? )))

Seriously... I quite like SOS modes on flashlights (no matter that most of people will never ever have to use it, but I think that is just someone's personal assumption ... SOS like this can flash all night on its own in the case of real emergency, so I don't have to click it with my hand all night long as an idiot (The Panic room movie ;-) ). There are fluds, hurricanes, earthquakes, plane crashes, all over the world, people getting lost in the wilderness. Have you ever seen Ray Mears survival series? Well, I think just people from cities, not going outdoors often can not really appreciate this mode or can't really think of a situation they could use SOS mode.

If the SOS mode is hidden in the UI, I don't really mind having it... just in case, on the contrary I really like having the option. That's my opinion.

 

[KeepingItLight]

[begin sarcasm]

It's all about me, isn't it? No flashlight should have any feature that I do not use, right?

I gotta tell you, since I don't sail, I don't give a hoot that someone at sea could use the SOS to signal distress. So what if every sailor worth his salt knows what SOS is, and won't mistake the signal. I won't be the one in the life boat.
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[end sarcasm]

The issue is not that flashlights have an SOS. The issue is that SOS and other blinky modes may not be well-hidden. That's a user interface problem.

Period.