# The Malta Police Force Will be using LED Flashlights soon !!



## Amonra (May 19, 2006)

I was contacted by the Malta Police Force to supply them with 2xAA flashlights a few months ago. Being a flashaholic i grabbed the opportunity and suggested an LED powered flashlight. Since i have been doing some business with Dae for a while i selected a few lights from him and gave some samples ( which Dae kindly sent me ) to the Police.

There were many contenders for this tender, the main competitor naturally being the minimag but after long discussions and testing they have finally decided to go for this: 







Which fortunately i will supply them ( im so happy i managed to beat the competition  but most importantly i managed to guide a government institution to 'see the light' ) 

It will be custom printed with the Malta Police logo and serial numbered.

They decided to go for this one due to it being brighter, tougher, better looking and most importantly has a much much longer runtime than the competition resulting in great battery savings. ( our government is trying to cut costs ) 

Many thanks goes to CPF because without it being here i would not have been able to 'see the light ' myself
And infinate thanks goes to Dae for being such a great person to deal with and for his great service, help and support and John ( lighthound ) for directing me to Dae in the first place.

Thanks


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## Big Bob (May 19, 2006)

Congratulations sir, and well done :twothumbs


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## BBL (May 19, 2006)

what type of led/light is this? any specs?

i associate the 'police' brand with low-quality, chinese made... but maybe i'm wrong.


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## maverick (May 19, 2006)

BBL said:


> what type of led/light is this? any specs?
> 
> i associate the 'police' brand with low-quality, chinese made... but maybe i'm wrong.




I second that. That light looks very similar to some low-priced lights that can be found around Asia. They're still decent, but of course not as bright or reliable as their Surefire counterparts.


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## Greg (May 19, 2006)

4AA Streamlight ProPoly Luxeon would probably beat this light down however it is probably more expensive than this light as well. 

The force is probably not issuing this light to be used in tactical situations but probably for everyday uses.


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## Amonra (May 19, 2006)

Big Bob: Thanks mate.

BBL / Maverick: It uses 11pcs x 5mm led's, 2xAA Batts. houses some kind of electronics, twisty tailcap, aluminum body up to 5mm thick in most places, type 2 anodize, tight o-ring seals all around, excellent machining and very well finished. It is not too bright as the led's are slightly underdriven which greatly reduces risk of led failure making it very reliable, the birghtness level is ideal for what it is intended to do i.e. every day use / low battery consumption. It is made in China, very well priced but it is certainly not cheap quality. 
I don't think any government is going to issue surefire lights to all of their police force mainly due to the high cost of the flashlight itself, not to mention running costs.

Greg: The SL PP is nice but still too expensive and not what they requested ( 2xAA ), besides i do not think a plastic light is ideal for the Police.


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## ABTOMAT (May 19, 2006)

I'd be interested to see how these hold up in use. These _are_ the dirt-cheap Chinese lights that everyone's selling for a couple bucks. Sometimes you can practically buy them by the pound off eBay. Most of the reviews I've heard haven't been to favorable.

In the US many police agencies require plastic flashlights for legal reasons.


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## Amonra (May 19, 2006)

Abtomat: These are not the dirt cheap chinese two buck pieces of crap you find on ebay. they might look the same but are not. They have been put to rigorous testing by the police and they came out on top against all the others INCLUDING 'USA' made Maglights so that says something doesn't it ?


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## maverick (May 19, 2006)

Amonra said:


> Abtomat: These are not the dirt cheap chinese two buck pieces of crap you find on ebay. they might look the same but are not. They have been put to rigorous testing by the police and they came out on top against all the others INCLUDING 'USA' made Maglights so that says something doesn't it ?



Though I guess coming out on top against Maglight doesn't say much....


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## LowBat (May 19, 2006)

Are there any reviews of this flashlight, or a website with a detailed description? I'm interested to learn more.


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## Synergy (May 19, 2006)

Amonra said:


> Greg: The SL PP is nice but still too expensive and not what they requested ( 2xAA ), besides i do not think a plastic light is ideal for the Police.


 

:huh2: ....Many fire services have used "plastic" flashlights for years in very harsh environs without problem or failure, including brands such as Pelican, UK and Streamlight. I'm not trying to flame on you or anything, so please don't take it that way...Just curious as to why you think a "plastic" flashlight would be unsuitable for police use.


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## WNG (May 19, 2006)

maverick said:


> Though I guess coming out on top against Maglight doesn't say much....




Especially against a miniMag. Today's offerings are thin, poorly threaded, and dim. Just bought a NiteEzes drop in kit for $10. I was disappointed with the overall output, and came to my senses...why am I bothering to put any more money into one?? Escpecially when for $10 one can find a LED light that'll blow it away.


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## 270winchester (May 19, 2006)

well, I suppose the Malta police knows what it's doing. I just hope that if I ever visit there, the cops don't get envy of my lights and "confiscate" it for their own use like the cops in Mexico did to me.

But 11 low out put LEDs? Jesus, are they too poor to afford Fenix?

THen again you ordered the lights on behalf of the police, you made the decision, so I don't expect you to say anything other than positive about these, uh, "Police" lights. COnsidering Malta is applying for EU membership, it would be sad to see a European country police carrying dim "LED" lights...


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## IsaacHayes (May 19, 2006)

Maybe it's not for search/etc but just for lighting up short distances for like writting tickets/etc. Perhaps they have larger recharable icandecnets for when things get serious. Perhaps this is just a "small" close range EDC light that they need?


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## nerdgineer (May 19, 2006)

Are these lights Dae's normal stock, or were they specially selected in any way? 

If they are his normal stock, I'd certainly be interested in your customer's feedback about how well they work over time.


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## webley445 (May 19, 2006)

Not saying good or bad here, JMHO.

Police are not organized, equiped, or operated, the same everywhere. We are spoiled here in the US and have to remember that.
we have major emphasis on officer safety and it other parts of the world they do things differently.

I remember another post on CPF not too long ago about a Brit on the PD who stated that officers were using minimags on duty.
I would ask are they am armed force like in the US? Perhaps their force is set up like UK, and these lights are just general purpose use? I'm sure there are plenty of personnel that use their own equipment and lights, as has been the norm for PD's worldwide for eons.

I'd be more interested to know how that PD is set up and how they operate. Is it mainly metro or rural? What types of calls are the most common? Are firearms abundant there like the US or is it a gun free state like other euro states?

I have a 9 led 3xAAA "Police" light. mine is "ok", but the main failure point is the plastic tailcap for momentary on. Can crack easily if dropped on it. The rest is built pretty tough, body wise. thick and heavy. If the model shown has a solid metal tail cap I could see it for general use on the streets.


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## Amonra (May 19, 2006)

Maverick / WNG : Even though a minimag may not mean much to you it seems to me that it is pretty famous and well regarded around the world including these forums, if maglights were so crappy why would the US police use them and why do a large number of modders most of which being well respected use them ? why would they even have a lifetime guarantee ?

Lowbat: There are no reviews nor detailed descriptions that i know of.

Synergy: it's not what i think, it's what the head of Police thinks. If he thinks so im not going to argue, i am not a cop so i have no experience as to what they would consider suitable.

270Winchester: Mexicans are not Maltese, Malta entered the EU a year ago, would you consider anyone who does not have a Fenix poor ?, i'm not the one who took the decision, the head of Police did. 15 - 20 lumens is not dim at all for normal everyday usage. having a "bright" flashlight that needs a battery change every couple of hours or less is useless when you're on night shift. it would be actually sad to see any cop in any country that could not do his job because his flashlight ran out of juice.

If any of you are familiar with government tenders you would know that they are very specific, in this case: aluminum 2AA flashlight, long runtime, durable, reliable, waterproof and costs no more than $15. This is exactly what they need. i offered other lights some of which were very bright along with this one but they did not satisfy all the requirements and therefore not what they need. This one did so they ended up choosing it.
Is is useless to offer a $100 surefire, a $35 fenix, a $25 SLPP or any other fancy or expensive light if it is not what they need.

Now if you think that you could find a better option and still satisfy all the requirements, be my guest and apply for the tender.


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## Amonra (May 19, 2006)

Isaachayes: i don't know what they need it for, i only know what type of flashlight they need.

Nerdgineer: they are slightly modified stock. They have been using the sample for about 3 months with no problem except for a broken contact after being abnormally abused during testing ( slammed against a concrete floor tailcap first ).

Webley445: Malta is a very small country ( 400,000 ppl crammed in 316 sq. Km of land ) it is almost all city. police calls are mainly just disturbance of the peace and some robberies like shoplifting etc. firearms are illegal, even paintball guns, except for shotguns which can only be used for clay pidgeon shooting and hunting in selected areas and seasons. it has a rubber momentary on tailcap so it does not break if dropped.


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## Long John (May 19, 2006)

Hello Amonra

Critic is easy, but why, I see no reason for.
The police need this light and . Why not?

Amonra, you did a :goodjob:


Best regards

_____
Tom


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## dulridge (May 19, 2006)

webley445}
I would ask are they am armed force like in the US? Perhaps their force is set up like UK said:


> The UK police is not routinely armed - there are firearms squads but they tend to be off duty when they are needed - there has been a big row this week about the unavailability of armed officers in Fife.
> 
> My father is the only judge in the area who is polite to policemen who want a warrant signing in the middle of the night. As a result he signs a lot of warrants at night. He has *never* seen an armed policeman arrive at the door.
> 
> ...


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## Planterz (May 19, 2006)

My concern would be overall durability. Remember, it's not inexpensive if you have to buy more because they break.

My other concern is that cluster LED lights aren't very useful at anything but close range. Definitely would't be able to light somebody up across the street. If that's not what they need it for, fine, but I hope they're not expecting that kind of performance.

I think the Nuwai ALX-2512AA would have been a better choice.


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## city cop (May 19, 2006)

Any light that says " Police" on it would scare me !! Chinese light for sure, same logo and all.:thumbsdow


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## cheapo (May 19, 2006)

i have spent some time in Malta... It is the most beautiful place i have ever been- a very lucky man you are to live there.

-David


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## WNG (May 19, 2006)

Amonra said:


> Maverick / WNG : Even though a minimag may not mean much to you it seems to me that it is pretty famous and well regarded around the world including these forums, if maglights were so crappy why would the US police use them and why do a large number of modders most of which being well respected use them ? why would they even have a lifetime guarantee ?




In response to your comments, my view of the miniMag is based on comparison of current offerings in the US domestic market. I have 3 miniMags, one of which is approx. 20 years old, a black model. Compared to newer versions, the old one was made to a higher level of quality. The thread tolerances tighter, finish more durable, and overall, 'feels' heftier. The two newer versions have loosely fitting heads which interfere with getting a consistant focus on the stock beam. The end cap can be troublesome to install, and I've had one switch fall apart.

We can find the miniMag for ~$7.00 here in most stores. Given the cost to bring a stock one up to acceptable standards, ie. modding with LEDs. The cost becomes unjustifiable imho. For example...a new miniMag is $7.00, add a NiteEyez mod: $10.00....or sandwich drop-in ~$15-30. Total cost $17-$37.
You are now into a price range which can yield some LED products which outperforms the miniMag mod considerably.
You get a light engineered from the beginning as a LED based light.

You say, why would US police departments use them? Well, that's because some of them don't know what's really out there, and that there are better alternatives. Your proof is only valid to someone who puts a lot of value in our domestic police departments. I'm not one of them. They may have budget constraints.

I think the biggest reason for my argument is the fact that your experience with the Malta police showed their evaluation did not result in selecting a miniMag.

Why so many modders use them?
Well, if they were so great, no one would need to mod a stock miniMag.
I see this as a contradiction of your argument.
Another reason, it's the standard of incandescent AA lights. Parts easily available. It's a cheap basis for modding. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice product. But not worth it to mod it with a sandwich drop-in only to spend as much for an Elecrolumens XM-3 for $34.95.

As for a lifetime warranty.....
warranties can be a tasking ordeal to get fulfilled. Ie. you must register products within a given timeframe, must store original receipts for a lifetime, follow their RMA procedures, and packing and shipping rules. And only if certain defects qualify for warranty service. Plus, the warranty may not be transferable, only for the original purchaser.
If it was an unconditional warranty, to any holder of a Mag Instruments product. Then I'd be impressed. 

Value is relative. At some point in time, they were nice enough for me to purchase several. Not anymore.


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## HiltiHome (May 19, 2006)

Congratulations for doing the deal with Malta Police.
These "Police"-Lights are very cheap, hope You made a lot of money.

If I had to recommend a flashlight, it would be the Pelican M6....


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## greenLED (May 19, 2006)

HiltiHome said:


> If I had to recommend a flashlight, it would be the Pelican M6....


Sure, but the Police wanted 2xAA-based lights; that restricts the options a lot. Keep in mind that outside the US Mags are not as cheap as in your local WallyMart - expect to pay up to $30 for a minimag. Also, CR123's may cost up to $7-9... definitely not peanuts when you're on a budget.


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## HiltiHome (May 19, 2006)

greenLED said:


> Sure, but the Police wanted 2xAA-based lights; that restricts the options a lot.



A few years ago, I was asked to supply a radiostation with speakers.
They specified exactly what they want and finally bought something totally different...


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## C4LED (May 19, 2006)

They can use them to try and find the Maltese Falcon!


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## Amonra (May 19, 2006)

Thanks Longjohn.

Planterz: i understand your and other peolpe's point about having a brighter and better throwing light, in fact i myself was surprised they chose this one as i did offer other lights which used a 3W led and deep reflector but for the reasons i have mentioned before ( not fulfilling their requirements ) they did not choose them. They have been testing the light for the past 3 months so i pretty sure they know what to expect and that it suits their needs. As for the Nuwai, too expensive ( one has to consider shipping ) and very short runtime.

City cop: Why all this negative response toward Chinese lights ? are you guys so narrow minded to think that anything that is made in China is crap ? the Fenix and Nuwai lights are made in China too i don't see many thumbs down about those, why should this be any different. and what about it having Police written on it i have seen many rebranded Nuwai lights with ridiculous names, does the name take anything away from the quality ?

WNG: No flashlight is perfect all have their defects even some of the most expensive lights like surefire but it does not mean that they are of bad quality. 
it's not because they do not know what's out there it's because they know how much it costs. they coose the maglight because it is of suitable quality for their needs, serves them well and the price is right. sure there are better lights but can you justify your government buying a $100 or more flashlight for the entire police force just to have a better quality light when the one they currently have serves them just fine for a tenth of the price ? not to mention the increase in running costs.
I was happy with the police choosing this one instead of the minimag because at least in Malta ( and in many other countries ) a maglight is considered a very good quality flashlight ( although you might think differently ) and the one i offered is of a better quality and met all their needs which resulted in them choosing it.
It is not a contradiction of my argument at all. ppl mod their lights to better them it's true but it does not mean that they were bad to begin with. Modders would not invest in a mod if they knew that the host is crap and will fail because that would be a bad return on their investment. therefore the sheer number of mag mods on this forum only goes to show that the maglight is a good quality flashlight.
Also some people here mod even the highest quality flashlights are those crap too ? no, but it is natural human behaviour to always want something better.
As for the warranty that is standard procedure for almost any item.
I never said that maglights are the best and im happy for you that you have the resources to buy better flashlights but for a good chunk of the population they are as good as it gets.

Hiltihome: Thanks a lot.

Greenled: thanks for answering that.



When i started this thread i just wanted to share my achievement as i have been trying to increase awareness of LED products in my small country for a long time and still to this day most people do not know what an LED is but i'm slowly succeeding. I was the first to sell LED based flashlights in Malta 3 years ago and it was very hard to educate every person who came along with the benefits of LED and hoped that they would pass on the info. The fact that the Malta Police are going LED means a lot for me because it shows that all the work i did to raise awareness was not for nothing ( i am making some money too which is an added bonus ) This will also be an important stepping stone as it will greatly increase awareness and exposure of the LED.


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## nerdgineer (May 19, 2006)

Points well taken. I'm sure most of us wish we could have done something so constructive to help our local PDs...


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## Jamrock (May 19, 2006)

Wow,I have one of those,it's one of the first lights i bought before i found CPF..Now i can be a lil' proud of it and say _"what? Crappy chinese made cheapos? what are you talking about? these Bad Boys are also used by the Maltese Finest"_




:naughty:

anyways,Congrats on the Deal!!


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## Amonra (Jun 26, 2006)

The Malta Police flashlights have arrived and they look great :rock: , the light is nice and white and the output is better than the original sample as they have been modified a bit.

Here are a few pics ( taken with mobile phone, sorry for the bad quality )











Some comparison shots with L1P ( L1P on the right )


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## Amonra (Jun 26, 2006)

BTW the flashlight is not turned on in the first photo. that blue hue at the lens is a reflection of the mobile phone flash.


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## Long John (Jun 26, 2006)

Hello Amonra

Amazing output for the 5mm Leds. Nice pictures and a great deal:goodjob:

Best regards

____
Tom


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## batman (Jun 26, 2006)

JMHO - anything produced within chinese borders should remain there so as not to contaminate the rest of the world. The Tibetan issue is another major sticking point with the Chinese.
-er, I take that back. 4tth of July is coming and I do need some fireworks. They did create fireworks in the 14th century.


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## Amonra (Jun 26, 2006)

Batman: I'll ignore that


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## Planterz (Jun 26, 2006)

batman said:


> JMHO - anything produced within chinese borders should remain there so as not to contaminate the rest of the world. The Tibetan issue is another major sticking point with the Chinese.


Right, and don't club seals, don't buy fur, don't eat red meat, don't shop at Wal*Mart, don't pick your nose, and don't walk on the ground because you're killing millions of innocent bacterium.


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## jayflash (Jun 26, 2006)

Nice going, Amonra. I'd imagine the 11 LEDs would produce a good flood for close up writing, inspections, and close quarter room scanning. The multiple, underdriven LEDs should also be efficient, giving good runtime along with a fair amount of light.

I'll bet many people from the rest of our planet (outside the USA) grumble about having to buy from the USA because in so many cases we're the only show in town. 

Although I prefer to buy "American" and support our manufacturers, the Eastern Rim countries offer a good value for many of their products. 

We're living in a glass house when it comes to throwing stones at other country's politics. The USA's history includes the genocide of the American Indian, slavery, Viet Nam, Iraq & Guantanamo. We have one out of 139 of our citizens in prison - the highest in the world.


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## batman (Jun 27, 2006)

jayflash said:


> Nice going, Amonra. I'd imagine the 11 LEDs would produce a good flood for close up writing, inspections, and close quarter room scanning. The multiple, underdriven LEDs should also be efficient, giving good runtime along with a fair amount of light.
> 
> I'll bet many people from the rest of our planet (outside the USA) grumble about having to buy from the USA because in so many cases we're the only show in town.
> 
> ...


 
Jayflash - I see that makes _two_ people in this thread with a college education.


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## DUQ (Jun 27, 2006)

batman said:


> JMHO - anything produced within chinese borders should remain there so as not to contaminate the rest of the world. The Tibetan issue is another major sticking point with the Chinese.
> -er, I take that back. 4tth of July is coming and I do need some fireworks. They did create fireworks in the 14th century.




Maybe you should stick to making comments about the thread topic and not your worldly knowledge about international issues.


Amonra: Glad to see those lights coming in. They should do a great job. Much better light than the Mini Mag's that the LEO's get issued in England.


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## flashgreenie (Jun 27, 2006)

Amonra, great job!!! 
Great work with influencing the maltese police... 

Did you get to keep serial #0001?? I would think that would be a great shelf queen for you!!!!


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## Grox (Jun 27, 2006)

Amonra, good work! Like Long John said earlier, it is easy to criticise but I'm sure that given your constraints you have done a wonderful job!


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## yellow (Jun 27, 2006)

Would like to hear any comments of the officers in some weeks, 1/2 a year, concerning the lights (output, defects, handling, ...)



WNG said:


> Compared to newer versions, the old one was made to a higher level of quality.


agree 100 %!!!
still there is NO camparison for the ease of handling of a MM. None of the "better" LED-lights offers knurling.


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## fasuto (Jun 27, 2006)

:goodjob:


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## Amonra (Jun 27, 2006)

Batman: Having a college education or being American does not mean that you are superior than everyone else, nor does it give you a right to be rude and offensive. 
I understand the fact that you support your country's products and i agree as i would do the same but the bitterness and stupid comments are starting to get old.

DUQ: yep, i'm sure they will.

Flashgreenie: Thanks. #0001 is mine, my percious  i get to keep it.

Grox/Fasuto: Thanks

Yellow: Well when i delivered them the very first comment was that they are much better than the ones they had before, but i have not seen them so i cannot comment on that. A friend of mine ( police officer ) will be recieving one of the LED flashlights and he will keep me updated with the performance and issues ( if any ). 
i'm not sure if you are referring to these lights but they have nice deep knurling and offer a much better grip than the MM.


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## metalhed (Jun 27, 2006)

Amonra -- Hope you don't mind that I'm a little late on this...didn't see the thread until recently.

I added a mention of this thread on my site in the 'News Flashes from Around the Web' section at the bottom of my homepage. I think it's pretty cool that you are helping spread the word regarding LEDs and their superiority to incandescents. I hope most police and emergency personnel switch to LEDs for most lighting needs. After all, they need the dependability as much (or more) than any of us.

BTW, IMHO, as long as the Malta Police are happy with the lights you supplied them, then that should be good enough...regardless of the lights origin. 

Good job...:thumbsup:


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## Amonra (Jun 27, 2006)

Thanks a lot Metalhed, much appreciated and certainly unexpected.
That was my intention, the propagation and popularity of LED technology. Because if people did not buy LED based products ( regardless of their origin ) the technology would not continue to be developed. I believe that within the next few years LED technology will bury previous lighting technology and i take pride in having done my little bit to help.


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## BBL (Jun 27, 2006)

batman said:


> JMHO - anything produced within chinese borders should remain there so as not to contaminate the rest of the world. The Tibetan issue is another major sticking point with the Chinese.
> -er, I take that back. 4tth of July is coming and I do need some fireworks. They did create fireworks in the 14th century.


speaking of contamination. There are quite a few products that should better be consumed exclusively in the country of origin. I'm thinking about all kinds of depleted uranium ammunition which are currently used world-wide mainly by one specific country.


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## mossyoak (Jun 27, 2006)

im happy for you being able to spread "the light" i think those will make great lights for the maltese police. i dont understand why all the fuss its not like if one of the people on this forum goes to Malta they wont have 45 lights in their bag so they have nothing to worry/fuss about.


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## Illum (Jun 27, 2006)

maverick said:


> I second that. That light looks very similar to some low-priced lights that can be found around Asia. They're still decent, but of course not as bright or reliable as their Surefire counterparts.



Surefire's cost money...Chinese lights cost nothing



Greg said:


> 4AA Streamlight ProPoly Luxeon would probably beat this light down however it is probably more expensive than this light as well.
> 
> The force is probably not issuing this light to be used in tactical situations but probably for everyday uses.



The 4AA might not be strong enough.. decent throw but the intensity it a bit...weak



maverick said:


> Though I guess coming out on top against Maglight doesn't say much....



Depends...If the deputy is holding a 6D mag...it doesnt matter if the light burns out in a riot situation...it can still hurt 



Synergy said:


> :huh2: ....Many fire services have used "plastic" flashlights for years in very harsh environs without problem or failure, including brands such as Pelican, UK and Streamlight. I'm not trying to flame on you or anything, so please don't take it that way...Just curious as to why you think a "plastic" flashlight would be unsuitable for police use.



SL arent really plastic...its more of a polymer... ABS polymer, respectively.
Most of us think of "plastic" as that dull material they use on toys to keep kids busy for a few hours...the polymer is strong enough to be used as an impact weapon...the case will hole but the light would be destroyed internally...


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## Illum (Jun 27, 2006)

batman said:


> -er, I take that back. 4tth of July is coming and I do need some fireworks. They did create fireworks in the 14th century.



Um...My ancestors fought wars using them...Han Dynasty i think around 200 BC...gunpowder in bamboo....the first firecracker....and the first stun grenade


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## cheapo (Jun 27, 2006)

boy do i miss malta.... the blue water, the ocupii, the beaches (particularly paridise bay beach and golden bay).... etc.

in a few decades when i retire..... I am gonna go to malta.

-David


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## Bror Jace (Jun 27, 2006)

Hey *Amonra*, I live in Malta too!

But for me, Malta is a small town in upstate New York ... not quite an island. 


Seriously, that looks like a nice light for normal duty use. If they were available around here for $9-12 delivered, I'd snap one up. 

This thread was actually good to read as many of the issues involving falshlights were brought up (for better or worse).

You have to understand where some of the people here are coming from. Along with the good products The phrase "buyer beware" definitiely applies and some people who've been burned (or know others that have been burned) are going to be cynical.

As for the word "Police" being printed on the light, this is often a cheap/cheesy way for lesser, 'wannabe' products to fake credibility. Words like "Task Force" might also be employed. I think they help as much as hurt a products image ... and you saw the reaction it got here.

Lastly, Mag-Lites are a sore issue for some here. The vast, unwashed masses out there think they are top-of-the-line lights. I think they are pretty good (well-made) but a very dated light. Maglite rested on their laurels for decades and now many flashaholics have nothing but contempt for them ... especially in light (pun intended) of the current (better) offerings on the market today.

Someone above made a good point about the Mini-Mags 
being only a fair value ... especially when you've added another $5-10 to the price tag buying an LED upgrade kit for it.


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## Amonra (Jun 28, 2006)

Cheapo: Golden bay really is one of the nicest bays in Malta, some scenes in major films have been shot there too but Imgiebah bay is even better, not many turists get to see this bay though as it is in a hard to get secluded area, we like to go camping there in summer. Maybe when you retire and come here ill take you there.

Bror Jace: I was aware that somewhere in the US there was a place named Malta but was unsure of the location. Do many Maltese / Maltese descendants live there by any chance ?

I understand that some ppl might be sceptical but going as far as saying that all products coming from a certain part of the world are poop is a bit too much. being burned on one or more products does not mean that all that is manufactured by that factory is bad, let alone all that is manufactured by that country or part of the world. 
The first LED light ( and first US made product ) i bought was a Tektite Expedition 300 back in 2002 i paid $68 for it ( which for me at that time was A LOT of money to be spent on a flishlight ) It was not very bright and stopped working after being used 15 times at most. the contacts on the head ( plastic coated with a metallic surface ) wore off. I also bought a set of Cooper tyres that never had any grip and almost killed me a couple of times. Those are the only US made products i ever bought and both failed. Are all Tektite flashlights and Cooper tyres of bad quality ? are all US made products bad ? should i warn everyone that all US made products are bad and place rude and negative comments on every US made product and the people who buy them ?

Certainly not. I simply accept the fact that sometimes there are design and manufacturing defects on certain products, even if they are supposed to be of high quality. 
Would i buy Tektite products again ? No, simply because i think that they are over priced and there are better options for the same price. Would i buy Cooper tyres again ? Yes, i just did. Am i happy with them? Yes, they seem to be good so far. Would i buy US made products again ? Yes, i bought a Leatherman wave a few weeks ago. Am i happy with it ? Yes. 
Do i have products that were made in Asian countries. Yes, a lot of the stuff i own is made i Asian countries. do they all fail ? No, in fact only about 5% - 8% of the stuff has ever failed. and that is much better than the 50% failure of US products i own.


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## leprechaun414 (Jun 28, 2006)

Sounds great *Amonra * I would interested to know how the police like these lights for a duty light and how it works for them. Hopefully you can do a future thread with some feedback from the officers. I know someone said Surefires are expensive and chinese lights are cheaper but Surefires are made to perform when you really need them to. I'm not knocking the chinese lights but I would prefer to have something like a Surefire if it was going to save my life. I'm sure that the police have looked over everything when making a decision to go with these lights. I look forward to seeing how they work for them.:thumbsup:


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## Amonra (Jun 28, 2006)

In a perfect world everyone would have a $200 - $300 Surefire and an unlimited battery supply. But unfortunately money does not grow on trees and the Malta Police Budget is on a tight leash. Besides, these lights will most probably never be in a scenario where a life is at stake. Fortunately the Maltese crime rate is very small and gunfights, etc.. happen very rarely. These lights will mostly be used in routine road blocks for looking inside cars and license plates ( that is why they wanted a long runtime light where brightness is not crucial ) and this kind of scenario has never turned into a dangerous one, at least not in Malta.


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## Bror Jace (Jun 29, 2006)

Hmmm ... is this the light? 

http://www.qualitychinagoods.com/bulletheaded-flashlight-p-362.html


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## Amonra (Jun 29, 2006)

Yep


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## leprechaun414 (Jun 30, 2006)

I would like to check one of these out. Any recommendation on where to purchase one?


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## Amonra (Jul 1, 2006)

link on post #57


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## Amonra (Jul 7, 2006)

Here are some better pics:


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## Bror Jace (Jul 8, 2006)

That's cool that they put the seal on these lights (painted, etched or anodized?) and a serial number (I'm assuming sequential?).

I just ordered two today ... along with a couple others from DAE's site.


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## Amonra (Jul 10, 2006)

the sequential serial number and seal are printed on. 
I just got some feedback form a LEO that has been using it for a week or so and so far he is very happy with it and no issues.


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## Bror Jace (Jul 27, 2006)

My order from DAE came yesterday. 

In addition to the Malta Police Lights (1 titanium, 1 green), I got a 100 LED 4AA light and a small 3W Luxeon light running on 2 C123Rs (also with a "Police" banner on it).

The 2AA light pictured above is a nice utility light. Brightness and throw appear to be a step above a Mini-Mag with Nite-Ize drop in. I haven't gone outside and really put those two to a test but there is a noticeable difference at short ranges.

If I was a LEO digging around in the trunk of my car for a piece of gear, this light would be about ideal. But if I'm poking around in the bushes looking for someone, I'd want something brighter, probably an incan.

The light is a good size, has some heft and really fills out your hand better than a 2AA Mini-Mag can.


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## Amonra (Jul 28, 2006)

Thanks for the short review.
I got in contact with my LEO friend yesterday who has been using this light for a month now and he said that it is doing great and that it is much better than the one they had before ( i dont know which ones they had though ) they use it mainly to signal traffic and to look around and inside cars in road blocks, so i guess it's ideal for that job. So far so good


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## justin_gandus (Jan 22, 2016)

can you tell me the model number of this flashlight please ?


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## bkb (Jan 23, 2016)

Justin, I don't know what model the light is but I noticed the thread is almost 10 years old. The Malta police have probably upgraded to something different by now. With the rapid changes in LEDs in the last 10 years I'd guess that this light probably isn't being made anymore. Just my guess.


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## recDNA (Jan 23, 2016)

Amonra said:


> I was contacted by the Malta Police Force to supply them with 2xAA flashlights a few months ago. Being a flashaholic i grabbed the opportunity and suggested an LED powered flashlight. Since i have been doing some business with Dae for a while i selected a few lights from him and gave some samples ( which Dae kindly sent me ) to the Police.
> 
> There were many contenders for this tender, the main competitor naturally being the minimag but after long discussions and testing they have finally decided to go for this:
> 
> ...


I read your topic and thought...when did they get rid of horses? LOL Just kidding.


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