# Poll: Do You Use Strobe/SOS Modes?



## Bigmac_79 (Mar 23, 2012)

I wanted to find out how many people use strobe/sos modes (or would if they had a light with the modes available). When voting, feel free to assume that the strobe is implemented in a way that you personally would appreciate. You can feel free to discuss in the comments how you like or don't like the modes to be implemented, but just try not to get into any fights. I know a lot of us can actually be pretty passionate about this, but I don't want to get this thread closed. I'd like to have some solid data to use for reference in future discussions on this topic.

P.S. I did run a search to see if any other threads had this info, and I did not find any within the past year that asked the questions I want to ask. I also posted this in the LED forum instead of the general forum because to my knowledge, strobe and SOS mostly on LED lights. If I missed an old thread or posted this in the wrong area, I'm sure someone will berate me for it.


----------



## Outdoorsman5 (Mar 23, 2012)

I have been in some scary situations where I had to use the strobe mode......several times even.

Each time one or both of my young daughters would give me that serious & pleading look, and asked me for one of my lights. Each time I gave them one, and each time it turned into a dance party. Their favorite one to date is the Olight M30. Don't know why; guess it just blinks at the right speed.


----------



## tychoseven (Mar 23, 2012)

I think the "beacon" mode is useful, but have no use for strobe or SOS. Personally I don't understand the appeal and prefer my lights to be uncluttered.


----------



## Patriot (Mar 23, 2012)

I use strobe mode at times and appreciate a good UI. I don't care if it's on the light and not being used.


----------



## Bigmac_79 (Mar 23, 2012)

tychoseven said:


> I think the "beacon" mode is useful, but have no use for strobe or SOS. Personally I don't understand the appeal and prefer my lights to be uncluttered.



What do you mean by a beacon mode? Would that be a sort of slow strobe, like a flash every few seconds or so?


----------



## Sgt. LED (Mar 23, 2012)

Nononononononononononononononononono
NO


----------



## Outdoorsman5 (Mar 23, 2012)

Bigmac_79 said:


> What do you mean by a beacon mode? Would that be a sort of slow strobe, like a flash every few seconds or so?



The Quarks have a beacon mode where they blink once every ten seconds. This is the only blinky mode that I could foresee being useful to me. I haven't needed it, but could come in handy if I was out looking for wood or hiking away from camp after dark. I could set up a beacon in my tent, so I could easily find it again. The SOS & strobe are useless to me and usually in the way when cycling through outputs.


----------



## Bigmac_79 (Mar 23, 2012)

Outdoorsman5 said:


> The Quarks have a beacon mode where they blink once every ten seconds. This is the only blinky mode that I could foresee being useful to me. I haven't needed it, but could come in handy if I was out looking for wood or hiking away from camp after dark. I could set up a beacon in my tent, so I could easily find it again. The SOS & strobe are useless to me and usually in the way when cycling through outputs.



Thanks for clarifying!

Sent from my mobile device. Please excuse brevity and typos.


----------



## TEEJ (Mar 23, 2012)

Strobe is useful if you use your light in situations that a strobe can help AND you are trained/knowledgeable in its use. Strobe is useless to everyone else. (Except for entertainment purposes)

Beacon lights fall into the same category, but at least don't require training...they are simply a way to leave the light on for a long period of time, so it can be used to mark your location/call attention to you being broken down on the side of the road, etc.

If you never need either function, they waste space in the UI, and generally annoy those who don't need it.

For some EDC situations, these modes are handy...for others, they are annoying...so I tend to use lights without these modes, or some of these modes, as appropriate.

I find that some lights come with strobe, as a hidden feature, so its less annoying to have to scroll past to get the modes you DO use...

...and THOSE are the most ridiculous to me at least....as in a situation where you'd NEED a strobe, you DON'T want to have to find a hidden mode/remember some twisty/pushy combo to GET it....it would be too late to USE in those scenarios.

So, if the light has strobe...so it can be Tacti-Cool...but its hidden, its worthless, if you actually wanted Tacti-CAL.

A Beacon mode can be hidden/require extra work to get to off the std choices in the UI...as you typically are going to be purposefully setting it up as a warning light/beacon type function, and leaving it run for hours, etc.


SOS seems a bit overkill most of the time I'd think it might be handy....but its essentially a beacon that stresses that you need HELP (As opposed to simply not wanting to be run over while changing a flat...)....and you could set it up and go do something else while waiting for help, like triage, etc.

It too can be situated off the beaten path of your UI to keep it out of the way for day to day use.

I mean, your life would have to suck pretty bad for SOS to be used regularly.


:wave:



PS - The topic title for the pol says "Stobe" instead of Strobe.


----------



## kj2 (Mar 23, 2012)

I use strobe mode to scare of wild animals. Of to signal to a car, if he/she doesn't turn-off his/her hi-beam.


----------



## hank (Mar 23, 2012)

Yes.

Crossing streets at night, especially in the rain-- a Trustfire Z1 does the job fine, has a memory for the strobe so always available when needed.

I've several times had drivers clearly not notice me or other people in the crosswalk until I lit up the street ahead of them with the flashlight strobe -- not aimed in their eyes but aimed to make the reflectors in the street paint light up, or the people in the street if they were wearing light clothes.

I also used my first strobing light -- a 1xAA Quark Mini -- to stop traffic after jumping off a bus one rainy night seeing someone lying in a crosswalk after a hit-and run. By the time I got there others had called 911 and gathered around -- so I went to stop traffic. Cars would get to a block away, start into the area, and turn away to go around, consistently. Nobody even approached the accident area 'til the first aid crew arrived.


----------



## Taschenlampe Dude (Mar 23, 2012)

I wouldn't mind having a strobe/SOS mode on a light used primarily for camping and hiking but I'm not a fan of those functions on lights used for more general purposes. I like straight forward controls which are readily accessible without having to memorize sequences to access functions.


----------



## bodhran (Mar 23, 2012)

I have never used those modes myself but as long as they are buried, I don't mind them on my lights. Just because I don't use them doesn't mean that there might be a situation where I might wish I had them.


----------



## SDM44 (Mar 23, 2012)

The only feature I would ever use is the strobe feature. However, that said.....

I'd never use the strobe on a hand-held flashlight as I'd really have no need for it.

I've only used the strobe feature a few times on my weapon-mounted light (TLR-1s) during a low light course, and it wasn't hard to use but really didn't make too much of a difference IMO if I was on the receiving end of it (mounted on an rubber gun for training). It did make shooting at night a little tougher since it took longer to see exactly where you hit on the target compared to if you had a solid light on the entire time.


----------



## LightWalker (Mar 23, 2012)

I use strobe to get peoples attention/signal.


----------



## Fireclaw18 (Mar 23, 2012)

I doubt a strobe on a small pocket flashlight can be bright enough to function as a viable self-defense tool. Maybe when pocket flashlights get to 10,000 lumens. But 200 lumens? nah.


----------



## TEEJ (Mar 23, 2012)

Fireclaw18 said:


> I doubt a strobe on a small pocket flashlight can be bright enough to function as a viable self-defense tool. Maybe when pocket flashlights get to 10,000 lumens. But 200 lumens? nah.



They don't work the way you think they do...and, yes, the brighter the better....but you can make it work at 100 lumens if they are distributed appropriately. This is WHY I say that w/o proper training, a strobe is useless, or worse, dangerous to the user who might THINK it offers them some protection.

In reality, a person who doesn't know HOW to use a strobe, is like a person given a weapon to keep in their purse for self defense....w/o being told that they have to release a safety for it to be able to fire.

The emergency occurs, they aim at the attacker, and....nothing happens...the attacker is slightly amused/relieved...and the crime proceeds according to schedule.

A strobe is not a taser. A person "Being strobed" doesn't fall to the ground paralyzed...they are temporarily disoriented if they did not know it was going to happen...that's about it. You have to be able to take advantage of that temporary disorientation for it to be of any real value.

This is why it works great on drunks for example....they are more easily confused and disoriented. If you just STAND THERE strobing though, well, even a drunk willl eventually figure out what's going on, get his bearings, and procede with whatever it was he was doing/now thinks he should do, etc.


----------



## peterharvey73 (Mar 23, 2012)

I do use strobe and SOS modes, but only once in a blue moon, or in emergency situations etc...


----------



## Bigmac_79 (Mar 23, 2012)

TEEJ said:


> ...
> I mean, your life would have to suck pretty bad for SOS to be used regularly...



Lol, very good point.

Sent from my mobile device. Please excuse brevity and typos.


----------



## peterharvey73 (Mar 23, 2012)

The strobe and SOS should have a clear user interface.
For example using a magnetic ring: far left SOS, then next step is strobe, then next step is micro-amperage standby, then next step ramps from low to high etc.
I think the Surefire UB3T Invictus has it clearly delineated on their magnetic ring.

Never place strobe after turbo mode, on the far right - it is a pain to accidentally activate strobe all the time after turbo mode, eg RRT-3, V60C etc.
Also, please avoid _hidden _strobes/SOS eg Jetbeam RRT-0 - three rotations backwards and forwards, clockwise and anti-clockwise to activate the SOS - most people don't know this; although they would know if there was a clearly defined detent to the far left.
Furthermore, sometimes we really do happen to do three backwards and forwards rotations to change the brightness, then all of a sudden, the SOS starts! A pain.

An analog button can only have one or two functions built into it; usually only momentary, and on/off.
A digital button is very complex to use; we need to have knowledge of so many clicks here, and so many clicks there, plus short/fast and long/slow clicks etc.
The simplist UI for multiple modes is a magnetic ring.
If we use a magnetic ring in a large tubular diameter flashlight, it helps to be _short travel_, so that it can easily be operated one-handed.
Also the magnetic ring can be placed at the neck of the flashlight, or at the tail.
_Neck_ [cervical] placement is good for flood beams, which tend to be held by the relaxing handshake grip low down below the waist.
_Tail _placement of the magnetic ring is good for lights with throw beams, which tend to be held high up above the shoulders, to maximise the throw, using the overhand grip with four fingers over the top.

Strobe and SOS is used, but rarely so.
A good UI helps to prevent the strobe/SOS from being a pain...


----------



## correspondent (Mar 23, 2012)

I've experienced the need for it a number of times and when i did, i noticed instant access is crucial almost vital even. e.g. crossing through streets and foliage as both a warning device as well as a deterrent for certain unwanted wildlife confrontations. The sos i've used to help other individuals, when we're in a pack, to have an idea where i am the entire time when we're exploring a vast, dark secluded area.


----------



## bladerunner (Mar 23, 2012)

So far,I have not needed them.


----------



## snakyjake (Mar 24, 2012)

I would like to have a very low output beacon so I can find my flashlight in the dark.


----------



## dbare (Mar 24, 2012)

I have used both, mainly to entertain the grandchildren. I expect there will be a situation sometime where I will otherwise use one or the other.


----------



## gcbryan (Mar 24, 2012)

I would prefer not to have them. If they are hidden and easy to access that's OK. If there are going to be any hidden blinky modes I'd prefer that it was just a slow strobe/beacon. I don't need the disorienting type or one so slow that it doesn't get anyones attention. I only want one blinky mode even if hidden and easily accessible.

If it's hard to access it might as well not be on there either. I have a light that has a strobe (too fast for me) that is accessed just by two rapid clicks of the side switch. At least that's intuitive and yet not in the way during normal use.

Strobe/beacons on flashlights and headlamps is definitely an overdone thing. It's mainly there just due to one manufacturer copying another one rather than because of any real customer demand IMO....just like crenelated bezels and "tactical" tail switches.


----------



## DIΩDΣ (Mar 24, 2012)

Here is my answer to the last strobe poll:


DIΩDΣ;3838065 said:


> I use the strobe frequently jogging (on my ZL H51 headlamp). I like to jog during sunset to enjoy the view but this is a dangerous time to be on the road (I think even more dangerous than middle of the night), especially when I'm on narrow country roads with 55mph limits. As soon as the sun is setting I turn the strobe on and leave it on strobe until it starts getting dark enough to need the light to see by, then I shut of strobe and put the light on steady. The strobe also helps extend batterey life when I dont need the light to see, just to be visible to motorists.
> 
> Beacon/SOS I have never had and dont really see using it ever.


----------



## lwknight (Mar 25, 2012)

I find the blinky modes annoying when its in the mode change menu.
It would be OK if they were all something like the TK41 that actually
requires you to double click the power button while the light is turned on.


----------



## spc smith (Mar 25, 2012)

I find alot of people within bad standing of the strobe function having had crappy UI's that easily SET the strobe off, or just too complicated a UI in general. A strobe is NOT a self defense tool, but rather more for emergency signaling and grabbing someone's attention on the recieving end. I use the "strobe" function on my light from time to time to grab the attention of drivers coming up on my squads point too fast. It works well in that people pay attention closer when reds and blues or a strobe, bright light is involved indicating LE. The first thing someone thinks about is the presence of an LEO, MP behind that strobing light (quick birst). Command presence is everything in demanding someones attention without communication when its not possible to do so. It has it's place, but definately not for all EDC types.


----------



## eh4 (Mar 25, 2012)

So long as it's "tactically" usable (lol!) I'm fine with Strobe. 
I would use strobe a split second before whacking somebody in a strategic spot. Or maybe I'd use it for a few seconds if there was some situation that seemed like it could be resolved with just a little bit of demoralizing or momentary confusion. -I never get into either of those situations.

and as spc smith noted, strobe would be excellent for quickly getting someone's attention, so would shaking the light for that matter.

SOS, if it was ever needed at all would be really good to have, the whole point is that you can set it and leave it unattended while it sends a somewhat intelligible message. It can be/should be buried in the UI such that anyone can find it with enough monkeying but you don't have to go through it every time (like I have to do with my old Photon III, bleh).


----------



## RGB_LED (Mar 25, 2012)

I use the strobe mode on my lights quite often as I cycle in the evenings and need to ensure that car drivers know I'm nearby. Very useful especially at intersections or on dimly lit side streets. I prefer lights where the strobe is hidden and used only when necessary. As for SOS, I don't like lights with that mode but I hope that I'm never in a situation where I need it or only have one hand to turn it on.


----------



## Cataract (Mar 26, 2012)

I use strobe to get my cousin's attention when we meet somewhere in town - once or twice a year. I also occasionally use it to annoy coworkers at work or while stopped at a red light when leaving work (only if we're stopped side by side or one behind he other).

Edit: Almost forgot that I also use a red strobe for a backlight on my bicycle if I have to be on it at night.


----------



## tychoseven (Mar 26, 2012)

I wonder how Strobe/SOS became so prevalent on LED flashlights, since most of us seem to agree they're useful, but hardly necessary. Does "The Market" really demand these features from manufacturers? I see strobe on most brand-name headlamps these days as well.


----------



## Bullzeyebill (Mar 26, 2012)

kj2 said:


> Of to signal to a car, if he/she doesn't turn-off his/her hi-beam.



A perfect example of when not to use a strobe, and it's illegal too. Posters, please refrain from such comments. Infraction of CPF Rule 11 also. Also. when commenting on the use of strobe as a defense/offensive tool please identify yourselves as proficient in such a use, such as a LEO trained to use strobe, etc.

Bill


----------



## warriorsinc (Mar 26, 2012)

These strobe lights on some flashlights work wonders! I had to experience this weekend when one of my friends was trying his out! It BLINDS you and disorients you like crazy


----------



## spc smith (Mar 27, 2012)

Agreed Bullzeyebill,

ONLY for emergency use, definately not self defense. I think of my "tactical" lights more as tools, and an aid in use completing a task. My primary and side arm are a last resort in accordance with escalation of force for anything after that. On the civilian side, I have used strobe while my vehicle had blown a tire on the highway at night, and my sweetheart wife had to come pick me up late and had NO PROBLEM in identifying where I was with my mini LED maglite. Ir definately served its purpose in locating me. And yes my wife has SERIOUSLY DIRECTIONALLY CHALLENGED ISSUESZZZ..


----------



## DIΩDΣ (Mar 27, 2012)

Bullzeyebill said:


> A perfect example of when not to use a strobe, and it's illegal too. Posters, please refrain from such comments.


As I stated earlier I use strobe on the road while jogging along with thousands of others runners/bikers. So I am strobing motorists regardless of if they forgot to dim their high beams or not. Is that really illegal? I suppose that could be a problem if you light is brighter than say the low beam of a car, but I'm only talking my ZL H51w which is 172L tops. Its pretty common place if you ask me.

I like the ZL interface also, it allows you to set the strobe as the secondary high (you need to be in high and then double click) or take it out of the mode selection entirely. So it wont be accidentally activated.


----------



## LedTed (Mar 28, 2012)

I've used the instant shortcut to strobe on my D10 three times. First time was to let a bicyclist know that he was blinding traffic with the strobe on his bike. Second was to "remind" my brother not to steal my stuff. Third was to get a hungry raccoon to back off for a moment while I went into the house.


----------



## chmsam (Mar 28, 2012)

I've posted this in other threads but I recently had to use a strobe at an accident scene. 

I tried flares but drivers ignored them.
I tried using the flashlight aimed a little bit below the windshield but drivers ignored it.
I aimed the flashlight at windshields but drivers ignored it.

Only the strobe got attention. 

The flares were good and bright. The light has 220+ ANSI lumens. By ignoring them several drivers spun out on ice. At least two drivers hit a concrete retaining wall on the passenger side of their cars which I'd guess resulted in at least $1,000 damage to each car. Neither car bothered to stop. Like I said only the strobe got attention.

Heck yeah, I like the strobe feature.


----------



## spc smith (Mar 30, 2012)

chmsam,

all I gotta say is.. dang you knocked that point outta the ball park!!!!! WHAT HE SAID & +1 for the proper usage of strobbing and "GRABBING" the attention, of passerby drivers in an outright stated emergency. Who's to say in a worse case scenario, the road banked into an iced turn which overlooked a 500 ft drop from a cliff at the scene of the first accident, and you as a cop are trying at all possible to stop further traffic from advancing right on the spot. Makes sense in the free world to have that extra strobe function.


----------



## chmsam (Mar 30, 2012)

Thanks but once again I'll say that I'm not a LEO or first responder. My friends and I just happened on the scene but luckily we have a bunch of training & experience that most folks don't have. I'm also a low budget gearhead and EDC a lot of crap. Sure did come in handy.

As for the scenario you described, well it wasn't a 500' drop off.

It _was_ an overpass ramp that is curved and banked, and it was covered in black ice. There are concrete protective walls about waist high. The other side of the wall is a drop off onto a multi-lane expressway below. It isn't a place for rookies and I would have been a lot happier somewhere else. It was good that I knew I was capable of doing the job long enough for the deputies to arrive. That took more than 5 minutes from the time we arrived -- that's a long time under the circumstances and a lot can (and did) happen in that time. 

Even though it was at night there was enough traffic to make it interesting. Added to that was the recommended speed on the ramp is about 40, the speed limit in the area is 55, and so of course most folks do about 60 - 65 mph or a little better. While I wasn't really scared I will say that I was very attentive to the surroundings. Woof!

I am not tooting my own horn. This is just to show how important that light was in that situation and at that time. Also it's a good example of why people without training should probably not stop in a situation like that. No one likes to write up more paperwork and the ME's don't like messy scenes. I'm experienced and I knew what I could and also could not do. I knew the risks. I'm not a hero. I just tried to keep things from getting worse.

It's good to be prepared and better to realize your limitations.

So, yeah I will say again that I like having a strobe feature. In that case that one was the right amount of brightness and fast enough of a strobe to really do the job. Of course everyone's mileage may vary but there are a lot of choices of lights out there so choose the one that's right for you but consider that a strobe feature adds no size or weight to a flashlight and could become a very useful tool.


----------



## djans1397 (Mar 30, 2012)

I know many others whine and moan about the strobe function on lights, but I find that they have a legitimate purpose for me. For one, strobe works great at getting ones attention either in a crowd or from a distance, both which I have done on more than one occasion. I also would use it as opposed to high mode should I need to temporarily disorient another; I know that this is only a temporary measure just as high mode is. 

I have several lights that I prefer single mode function on as well as tri modes only without strobe. Depending what I'll be doing with the light or where I'll be going... backpacking in the mountains, EDC house light or late night dog walking light, dictates which light I grab. Hidden function lights with strobe and SOS seem to appease the antistrobe crowds, but I find that this negates it's usefulness... at least for me. My ideal "tactical" light has been ones with high and strobe functions only with a forward clicky switch. I don't think that there are any lights currnetly made that please every flashaholics wishes and there probably will never be. It boils down to personal preference. Like in the gun world... the never ending debate of 9mm vs 40S&W vs 45cal.


----------



## mrlysle (Mar 30, 2012)

I appreciate having strobe and sos functions on some of my lights. I also like the locator beacon on my HDS lights. When going out in the woods, wilderness, whatever, the active locator beacon could prove very useful if you dropped your light unknowingly, and went looking for it. Also, in my job, we often are flying in a helicopter cross country, sometimes with houses very few and far between. I've often wondered what we would do if we had to ditch in one of these more remote areas. Well, if I was physically able, and of the mind, I'd definitely put one of my lights in sos mode, and prop it where it could be seen from the air, hopefully to get someones attention. Batteries would last a long time if only operating a light in locator beacon or sos mode. I also like the idea of being able to more easily grab someones attention with a strobe if needed. Obviously they aren't modes I use regularly, but I'm glad they are there. My HDS rotary is programmed for the rotary control, sos, and the tac strobe. All available in just a couple clicks if needed.


----------



## LightWalker (Mar 31, 2012)

If my car breaks down on a busy street, I want to have strobe available, especially if the lights on the car aren't working.


----------



## Abbot (Mar 31, 2012)

Most people choose "I would not ever use blinky modes, no matter the interface, and I don't even want them on my light. " This just reflect that many people don't want blinky modes. some people choose "Yes, I use strobe modes. " just like my choice.


----------



## THE_dAY (Mar 31, 2012)

I would like to have a strobe option if it was tucked away since it can come in handy but not very often.

I also feel that strobe mode would be a better option for any situation that would require SOS mode.


----------



## cpflogin (Mar 31, 2012)

SOS - Most these days likely don't even know the pattern. You can catch attention much easier with strobe or other motions. Strobe - Party trick...drunk kryptonite, attention grabber off of street signs...raves....what's not to love.


----------



## chmsam (Apr 1, 2012)

Even though there are fewer and fewer people who understand what an SOS signal is, I'd consider it just because it is different. 

Strobes might be perceived as a regular, rhythmic pattern and that tends to blend into the background. For example a strobe could be seen as just a tower marker or the like.

Because an SOS is unusual it might stand a better chance of being noticed. For the dwindling number of folks who know even that little bit of Morse code it would be instantly recognized.

Again, this is a feature that weighs nothing and takes up no space. Many lights have strobe and SOS features that are less obtrusive to the regular functions of the light as well. While I wouldn't want either feature to be #1 on the controls for a flashlight I don't mind them being there in the background. 

Then again I do know people who take the spare tire out of their vehicle 'cause it takes up too much space when they go on road trips (especially to the outlet malls). Their logic is that they haven't had a flat... yet. 

Ain't that the definition of "the kiss of death?" And these are the same sort of people who call for help and then get ticked off at you because your spare doesn't fit their vehicle.

Better to have it and not need it maybe?


----------



## Cataract (Apr 9, 2012)

chmsam said:


> [...]
> Then again I do know people who take the spare tire out of their vehicle 'cause it takes up too much space when they go on road trips (especially to the outlet malls). Their logic is that they haven't had a flat... yet.
> 
> Ain't that the definition of "the kiss of death?" And these are the same sort of people who call for help and then get ticked off at you because your spare doesn't fit their vehicle.
> ...



 

My ex boss once started cursing at the emergency kit that "what do we have this for? we never used it". The afternoon of the same day I saw him use it because he cut himself. The next day it had been completely updated and upgraded. Maybe everyone sould be taken through emergency situations just to get the idea of preparedness into their skull. 

That said, I can easily do without an SOS mode if I have momentary. Then again, if I had to do it 10 hours in a row, I'd rather have an SOS mode and sit back enjoying a coconut.


----------



## Woods Walker (Apr 9, 2012)

No disco for me.


----------



## rufusbduck (Apr 10, 2012)

As a diver, I would like beacon, SOS, readily available but not in regular cycle. As an mtber, no blinky modes at all, the best light to be seen by is one that allows you to SEE REALLY FAR. I like the drivers that allow access to the different mode groups via switching vs soldering as I don't usually bring my iron along on night dives.


----------



## rlichter (Jan 24, 2013)

*Strobe, anyone?*

Perhaps I should begin this with a question: for what use is the virtually ubiquitous "strobe" function really intended? Is there background evidence from military or police practice? My understanding is that a strobe light is a survival tool that will disorient an attacker allowing one time to run away or counter-attack. I've read comments that there is actually some danger in the effect a strobe may have. On the other hand, I've also read comments that a fixed frequency strobe does very little to disorient, while a variable frequency strobe does more but still won't stop an attacker. What is the straight dope on this topic? Does anyone have empirical information of how to use a strobe effectively in a dangerous situation and what effect it has? Or is it just as likely to accomplish nothing but the escalation of an already dangerous situation? One wouldn't want to rely on a tool that in an emergency does not accomplish what one expects: the temporary disabling of an attacker.


----------



## GordoJones88 (Jan 25, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*

I've used it to great effect chasing my cats around the yard and out into the woods. I've used it for raves in my closet. I've even used it to disable myself.


----------



## TweakMDS (Jan 25, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*

In my opinion it's absolutely useless for any personal defense purposes. Best case scenario you'll inflict some heavy blinking and confusion which might give you a few extra seconds to turn and run.

However, for signalling and warning it's great. If I'd drive my car in a ditch because of ice on the roads (quite common this winter), I'd prefer to have a flashlight with a strobe to alert other drivers.
I also use it in fire drills to communicate with the team outside (a continuous strobing light would mean "help me" in that scenario).


----------



## tam17 (Jan 25, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*



GordoJones88 said:


> I've even used it to disable myself.



Probably the best use posted here so far, LOL 

Cheers


----------



## skeeterbait (Jan 25, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*

I have never had a reason for it other than annoying the wife.


----------



## madecov (Jan 25, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*

I have used strobe often on duty while directing traffic. I have also used it effectively to disorient intoxicated ppersons and take them into custody. It doesn't work well in general use and every situation is different. I have also used to signal other officers and ambulances.


----------



## wdkingery (Jan 25, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*

Post deleted, see rule #11 which states in part: You agree, through your use of this BB, that you will not post any material which is illegal or which promotes activity that is illegal or could reasonably be foreseen to threaten any person's safety. - Norm


----------



## Grizzlyb (Jan 25, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*

Strobe does work for that what it is intended for, disorientation. 
It will not STOP an attacker, but it does disorientate. 
When You are trained to use that short moment of disorientation, It helps to control the opponent faster. That's all. 
Take all the advantages to Your side, or create advantages. (that's what the word "tactical" is all about)
We especially use it in non weapon situations, where the use of pepperspary is not advisable. 
A good strobe takes the visibility away for a short moment and disorientates enough to work with. 

We worked at our Police Academy with over 400 students with tactical light training and did a survey about their findings. (with or without strobe and what kind of strobe) 
Most students (in the role of opponent) had much more difficulty's to defend when the strobe was used. Especially when both officers used the Strobe during the arrest. 
(Standing in a V on both sides of the opponent at 2 to 3 Yards) Some of them even felt a bit nausea after a vew seconds. 

We also found, that it was very hard/impossible, to even *find* the strobe mode under high stress levels, even during training sessions. 
So We had our Tactical Lights produced in a way that the lights ALWAYS start-up in Strobe. 
When they want to use the tactical light for reading or searching, just hold the tail switch 2 sec. Then the other modes can be used. 

We also found that the strobe was more effective in lights with more throw and less flood. (more Lux in the eyes) 
The strobe frequency was more disorienting above 10hz and was less effective above 22hz. (best around 20hz, but that was more general feeling then hard proof) 

This is only what we found during training and research in the last 5 Years. These latest results are from 2012. 
Newer test will be conducted in 2013 with other lights and different situations. 
We are developing the use of Tactical Lights during work and training in hand to hand combat since 2008.

You don't want to know how hard it was to find a manufactor that "saw the light", and said; 
OK, tell us what You want, We'll see if we can build it.


----------



## TK41 (Jan 25, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*

^ Great post. Which shows why Fenix's, and similar UI lights, strobe is a joke for defense. Especially for their *TK *series, it's ridiculous to not have an instantly accessible strobe. To strobe with the average Fenix. Do you think this can all happen in time as somebody surprise attacks you while you're out walking?

1). Turn on light at tailcap, usually in a cigar hand syle.
2) Re-orient your hand so you can press the mode button.
3) Click and hold the mode button.

or even if you already have the light out and on, you still need to find the tiny mode rubber button and hold it down. If you have gloves on, forget about it.



"We also found, that it was very hard/impossible, to even *find* the strobe mode under high stress levels, even during training sessions."


----------



## kj2 (Jan 25, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*

delete.


----------



## Grizzlyb (Jan 25, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*

Many of our LEO's are thinking practical, . . . . not tactical. 

At start when they worked with those lights they asked how they could change the settings so it would start up in the: 
"I want to read stuff in the dark mode" 

It can't. Simple as that. The question itself was justification enough for us, that we had it made permanent. In any mode You switch it off, it ALWAYS starts-up in Strobe mode. 

Police Officers tend to go for the most easy and practical way, not the tactical way. And that is understandable but not preferable.


----------



## TEEJ (Jan 25, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*

Grizzly and Madecov are in line with my experience as well.

Too many think its like a taser or something like that...and don't get its just a way to make a perp pause to figure out WTF is going on. It buys time you can use to take advantage of a situation. You can't strobe a guy for more than a few seconds before he figures out that he's being strobed...and takes some sort of action. A drunk on the other hand may stare at it like he's watching a campfire and day dreaming, you never know.

Unless a light is for a tactical purpose, really, strobes tend to just be annoying. I find that on the Klarus lights, such as the XT11, its a LOT easier to hit the strobe...it comes on in strobe even from OFF if you want it to. 

Simply hitting a guy in the eyes with enough lux, and holding it there, does almost the same thing, especially if he's night adapted. Coming on in HIGH is therefore Plan A. 

Sometimes you just need to see them, and then determine their threat level...and then do what makes sense. If going in, you already sense what that threat level is, you've already decided on what will make sense.


----------



## Grizzlyb (Jan 25, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*

Good light, The Klarus XT11. 
We tryed it. But where not happy with the dual switch. Many times under stress we hit the wrong button.
To choose between 2 small buttons under stress means using fine motor skills. 
We experienced that it is not going to work, to many times the wrong switch.

High mode is perfectly blinding but not disorienting.
We use the Strobe also during day time. We experienced that its much harder to judge distances when using the right strobe at enough intensity.

Oh yeah, and try to take it from a velcro pouch/holster with 1 hand when going into a fighting situation. . . . .
So we came up with a special upside-down holster for 1-hand tactical pull, attached to a small spiral cord so You can drop it during arrest/both hands free situation.


----------



## TEEJ (Jan 25, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*



Grizzlyb said:


> Good light, The Klarus XT11.
> We tryed it. But where not happy with the dual switch. Many times under stress we hit the wrong button.
> To choose between 2 small buttons under stress means using fine motor skills.
> We experienced that it is not going to work, to many times the wrong switch.
> ...



Nice.


----------



## Grizzlyb (Jan 25, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*

Ahhh, what people come-up with these days :tinfoil:


----------



## kj2 (Jan 25, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*



Grizzlyb said:


> Good light, The Klarus XT11.
> We tryed it. But where not happy with the dual switch. Many times under stress we hit the wrong button.
> To choose between 2 small buttons under stress means using fine motor skills.
> We experienced that it is not going to work, to many times the wrong switch.
> ...



So I assume that you are using a Eden TDL 20?


----------



## Photon (Jan 25, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*

The foursevens.com site has a Lumen Tale (at bottom of page) about some guys who were beset upon by some large dogs.


> ...Thankfully, I was able to quickly and easily switch to the flashlight's strobe mode. The dogs suddenly froze in place and became very quiet...


----------



## Grizzlyb (Jan 25, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*

About dogs we didn't test it yet, but we have a Horse department behind our training facility. Same thing happend to horses.
They froze. Didn't know what to do.
We'll have our Dog department test it more serious on dogs.
But, having sayd that. 
We already know, that when a dogs is completely in attack mode, pepperspray won't work.
Adrinaline levels are probably to high.?


*kj2* ,
Yep.


----------



## TEEJ (Jan 25, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*

I thinks dogs are never oriented in the first place, so you can't disorient them as easily (Some what facetious).

Anecdotally at least, I don't see strobes doing much to dogs and cats. Shining lights in their eyes just annoys them, and I haven't seen a difference, personally at least, between high lux and strobe on a dog. I also think if in attack mode, they will charge blindly, literally as well as figuratively. I have heard of others stopping dogs with strobe though, so, perhaps like people, some are more affected by it than others.


----------



## kj2 (Jan 26, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*


Always funny


----------



## Grizzlyb (Jan 26, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*



TEEJ said:


> I don't see strobes doing much to dogs and cats. Shining lights in their eyes just annoys them, and I haven't seen a difference, personally at least, between high lux and strobe on a dog. I also think if in attack mode, they will charge blindly, literally as well as figuratively. I have heard of others stopping dogs with strobe though, so, perhaps like people, some are more affected by it than others.



Thats my opinion to. Probably in a pre- agressive fase it can more or less confuse a dog. But once in attack mode it stops for almost nothing.

We'll try to conduct the tests with the dogs as scientific as possible, but it will be mostly empirical research.
That department has a lot of dogs, so I expect a good general result. (all police trained, so not all kinds of dogs)
But it is an interesting line of "research".


----------



## braddy (Jan 26, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*



> It can't. Simple as that. The question itself was justification enough for us, that we had it made permanent. In any mode You switch it off, it ALWAYS starts-up in Strobe mode.



Dutch cops must be engaged in some heavy stuff, I would think that non-combat uses would be the routine use of a light, for a policeman.

Tonight I came across an old camera flash that I used to carry with a knife, I only carried it for an emergency, not routine use for lighting, I would think that the Dutch police protest this weird flashlight issue that you describe.


----------



## Al_D (Jan 26, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*



Grizzlyb said:


> About dogs we didn't test it yet, but we have a Horse department behind our training facility. Same thing happend to horses.
> They froze. Didn't know what to do.
> We'll have our Dog department test it more serious on dogs.
> But, having sayd that.
> We already know, that when a dogs is completely in attack mode, pepperspray won't work.



Training mounted units is generally difficult. You're basically conditioning the animal to ignore/suppress instinctual 'flight' responses to 'dangerous stimuli'. Loud noises (pyrotechnic, traffic, crowd), light (vehicle strobes, camera flash), contact (crowd control, other equine); a short list of things to train against. As good as most training is for mounted units I doubt a handful of years of conditioning will really be rid of 55 million years of evolutionary response.
Your result doesn't surprise me much.

As for dogs, my experience is much in-line with yours. A docile canine with nominal temperament will wince at most, squint at least to exposure.
However, under defence/offence, especially canine breeds to have been bred with more defensive/aggressive traits, strobe/OC spray's efficacy is greatly mitigated, at least temporarily. At that extreme (unfortunately where public safety personnel are mostly to encounter issues with our furry friends) neuromuscular or trauma appear the only means effective.

It's been mentioned many times already: I consider stroboscopic modes to be useful for signaling. For actual defence it becomes a matter of training and, with that, having the proper tools to be employed.


----------



## P_A_S_1 (Jan 26, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*

My experiences with strobe is that it works well for signaling, annoying co workers, and traffic details. I watched someone use his strobe feature on a disorderly group at a sumner party and in a way it worked, they all started dancing, it was actually pretty funny. I see it that under the right circumstances it may distract someone for a second but it's far from a disorientating effect. I also find that the strobe frequency of many lights is too quick and it makes the light seem lower in output then it is.


----------



## Al_D (Jan 26, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*



P_A_S_1 said:


> I watched someone use his strobe feature on a disorderly group at a sumner party and in a way it worked, they all started dancing, it was actually pretty funny.



Connecting with today's youth. :]


----------



## jorn (Jan 26, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*

I think that strobe is hyped up x10.
Police cars would not use their strobe lights in traffic if it was too blinding or disorientating.. Driving in high speeds between blind and disorientated pepole would be dangerous for everyone.
Strobe will grab your attention.

I use to stop cat fights with a 50k lux light. Both cats freezes in the middle of the fight and sloooowly back up from eachother. Looks really funny every time it happens  I guess if you cant see, you wont fight. Strobe or not.


----------



## matt4350 (Jan 26, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*

I've used strobe to disorient annoying dogs, but if I was up against some canine and I feared imminent attack and injury, I'd be using a taser or gun. As for offenders, if you're going to use some type of force to effect an arrest, I'd suggest something more effective than a flashing light. GrizzlyB's posts are very interesting, but demonstrate to me that, without correct training and the right light your efforts may be ineffective. Where I work, we've been specifically told not to use torches as a "use of force" option as a general rule. Lack of research and testing has led to this. In an emergency, or "high stress" situation (as already mentioned above) I would agree the deterioration of fine motor skills would make cycling through modes impractical or impossible. I'm wary of claims a strobe would be effective for self defence, and a little concerned someone might come to grief if they rely on such a thing.


----------



## Dances with Flashlight (Jan 26, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*

I have no experience with the tactical use of a strobe function, but if I ever join a Cub Scout Pack, I'm gonna get one.


----------



## Joe Talmadge (Jan 26, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*

This is actually a great thread on strobe. I sometimes do a facepalm when I see strobe threads. In the majority of cases, I think the manufacturers throw in strobe because they perceive consumers wanting it, and I think the whatever extent that's correct, much of that is walter mitty-ish. I have seen some use of strobe as an "I'm here" device... walking across a street on a dark night, etc. Hardly seems enough to warrant including it.

My experiences are very close to grizzlyb's in regards to the use of strobe in the situations he describes. When we trained this, we found that for a brief (as in, sub-second) moment, it created a little bit of hesitation. IF you were properly trained to use that hesitation, it could give you some advantage. If not, then it didn't. This metaphor breaks down quickly, but I compare it to a jab in boxing: usually, it creates the briefest moment where you can slip away to slow an attack, or a brief distraction for you to present a more effective offense. I know what to do after a jab because I've spent enough time in the ring figuring it out. IF you haven't trained, then it's harder to take advantage of it. One thing for sure, in the vast majority of cases, guys don't just fall down and give up from a jab, at best I have a moment to capitalize on.


----------



## Al_D (Jan 26, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*

God forbid any of us have an entertaining and informative discussion based on a well posed question.


----------



## Racer (Jan 26, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*

I tried it on a Racoon once without much effect. It dazed it a little I guess, but as soon as I turned it off, the Racoon went right back to ignoring me.


----------



## Grizzlyb (Jan 26, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*



braddy said:


> I would think that the Dutch police protest this weird flashlight issue that you describe.


Not anymore, knowledge grows with training. After the correct training and instruction it is not weird anymore. 
Keep in mind, this is not my opinion, but a result of many years of training with lots of police officers and extensive research. 



matt4350 said:


> Where I work, we've been specifically told not to use torches as a "use of force" option as a general rule. Lack of research and testing has led to this.


That should be done more often, 
But, after that conclusion, 2 ways are opened, stop doing it and never look back, or do the research. 
We did the research for many years and with more then 400 police officers and many, MANY types of lights and strobes. 
And that "Use of Force" is exectly one of the reasons we went to the small Tactical Lights and are going to stop with the hugh Maglite's. Those where used to many times to bash in sculls and have laid to lots of injury's



jorn said:


> I think that strobe is hyped up x10.
> Police cars would not use their strobe lights in traffic if it was too blinding or disorientating.. Driving in high speeds between blind and disorientated people would be dangerous for everyone.
> Strobe will grab your attention.


You can’t compare traffic Strobe lights on a police car with a Tactical 300lm 20hz Strobe from 2 yards away directly in Your eyes. That’s is like comparing a Chiwawa with a Doberman. 
Much depends on the amount of Lux in Your eyes and the sort of Strobe used. 
For a fact, I know that in Europe there are limitations to the frequency of Alarm Strobes or Strobes on Cars. Those lights operate in a much lower frequency, to not trigger epileptic reactions. 



Joe Talmadge said:


> This metaphor breaks down quickly, but I compare it to a jab in boxing: usually, it creates the briefest moment where you can slip away to slow an attack, or a brief distraction for you to present a more effective offense.


 
That's a metaphor that nails it very well. 
It is an instrument to distract/disorient an opponent for just a short moment. Maybe he turns his head, maybe he puts his hand up to block the blinding, or maybe he just doesn't see it coming in time, but those moments are enough to use, when trained properly.


----------



## Chevy-SS (Jan 26, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*



Grizzlyb said:


> Strobe does work for that what it is intended for, disorientation.
> It will not STOP an attacker, but it does disorientate.
> When You are trained to use that short moment of disorientation, It helps to control the opponent faster. That's all.
> Take all the advantages to Your side, or create advantages. (that's what the word "tactical" is all about)
> ...




Excellent post! :goodjob: I have read many posts about the infamous strobe mode, and this is the best post I've ever seen on this topic.

:thanks: for posting.

And please, when you get 2013 test results, kindly post a new thread. I'd be very curious to hear more.


----------



## Grizzlyb (Jan 27, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*



Chevy-SS said:


> And please, when you get 2013 test results, kindly post a new thread. I'd be very curious to hear more.



Thanks mate, I will post results from testing asap. Doing it as scientifically as possible it will take a few months. 
We'll leave opinions out (as much as possible) and base everything on facts. There are already enough opinions about this subject


----------



## tam17 (Jan 27, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*

Thanks for interesting insight, Grizzlyb!

My experience with strobe is nowhere near tactical, but at least I've found out that drivers tend to immediately reduce speed and pay more attention when I approach the pedestrian crossing with strobe on (which is by no means usual for the area where I live!) during the night or reduced visibility. Of course the beam is NEVER aimed directly towards the car. This "rule" is just my observation and should not be generalized in any way, and I don't think it works every time (I presume it's totally innefective in cases of DUI or seriously reckless driving, etc.)

As for dogs, I wouldn't rely on strobe to save me from a vicious dog ready to attack. I've tried 11Hz strobe on some moderately annoying strays, and results were ambiguous (there surely wasn't any "stopped in their tracks" effect). Some were startled at first and backed up, but continued to bark after a few moments, some didn't seem to be bothered at all by a close-up 140lm beam pointed directly at their eyes.

Constant 11Hz strobe always annoys me more than a random strobe. IDK why...

Cheers


----------



## EscapeVelocity (Feb 22, 2013)

*For the love of God! No strobe modes to click through please!*

Hi/Lo or Hi/Med/Lo or Hi/Lo/Firefly only please!

Does anybody use the strobe mode? This seems to me to be a niche feature.


----------



## Imon (Feb 22, 2013)

*Re: For the love of God! No strobe modes to click through please!*

This can become a very contentious topic.

There are those in the "tactical" crowd who like strobe mode. I'm with you though, I dislike cycling through a bazillion modes and I find strobe and SOS to be particularly useless.
Still, other like it and I think the general flashlight-using public see it as a selling point which is why it's included. It'd be nice if there were more programmable lights like the Novatac 120s and HDS light where you could choose which modes/brightness levels you want.


----------



## Grizzlyb (Feb 22, 2013)

*Re: For the love of God! No strobe modes to click through please!*

Maybe the best would be, to bring most lights for the "standard" users, without strobe, but with the rest of the mode's to choose from. 

And then the REAL Tactical lights, with a mode that starts up in strobe. 
In my opinion, Strobe mode is mainly for Tactical use. 
And when I say Tactical, I mean a light that can be used and drawn 1-handed. 
Instantly in strobe, thumb operated, without pressing many times on 1 or more switches. 
btw. The word tactical, is miss-used a lot. 
For instance, a light that has side switches (IMHO) can never be a Tactical light by my definition. 
Think yourself fumbling around in the dark under lots of stress looking for that damn little side switch. 
Or, You finally have Your light on to blind You opponent, and it still is in 2 lumens mode, Tactical??? Yeah, right.:candle:


----------



## kj2 (Feb 22, 2013)

*Re: For the love of God! No strobe modes to click through please!*



Grizzlyb said:


> Maybe the best would be, to bring most lights for the "standard" users, without strobe, but with the rest of the mode's to choose from.
> 
> And then the REAL Tactical lights, with a mode that starts up in strobe.
> In my opinion, Strobe mode is mainly for Tactical use.
> ...



"Think yourself fumbling around in the dark under lots of stress looking for that damn little side switch." - Happens to me a lot  and that's not even in a stress situation.


----------



## Grizzlyb (Feb 22, 2013)

*Re: For the love of God! No strobe modes to click through please!*



kj2 said:


> "Think yourself fumbling around in the dark under lots of stress looking for that damn little side switch." - Happens to me a lot  and that's not even in a stress situation.


:twothumbs


----------



## rickypanecatyl (Feb 22, 2013)

TEEJ said:


> I mean, your life would have to suck pretty bad for SOS to be used regularly.
> 
> 
> :wave:



Nice! :thumbsup:

I've actually wondered the question of if anyone here had used SOS and had it be helpful. The only situations I can think of it coming in handy are on the water... I work for a NGO doing relief work in disaster/war areas. Taking zodiacs between Florida and Haiti the Tsunami in Aceh, Indonesia and bringing stuff to smaller islands, I never had any major incidences on the water at night but that's the only place I could imagine using it and someone else understanding what the signal was and taking it seriously! 
Heck I don't if I'd recognize the SOS signal if it wasn't coming in at a speed I was used to or I was looking for it!

Personally I hate strobe - that could be related to several lights I've had it on - thrunite scorpion, Eagletac G25C2 malfunctioning and automatically switching to strobe when I wanted to be in low or firefly!

I work with SF/SAS guys a bunch. One recently told me he always thought strobe was useless but recently in some manuevers he found it slight distracting; from his perspective he was impressed. HOWEVER, that was with a TN31 and I really doubt he would have been any less distracted with turbo aimed at his eyes and anyone using it to shoot at someone else would probably be clearer so I don't see the point. I've never been able to imagine them being used in any "tactical situation" outside mall cops intimidating skateboarders or traffic cops aggravating drunks!
To be fair I have used it in crowds shining up at the sky to help someone looking for me find me while talking to them on a radio/cell phone but those few uses certainly don't make up for the annoyance/danger they cause if they accidently come on because the light is broken or the UI confuses me under pressure.


----------



## rickypanecatyl (Feb 22, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*



Photon said:


> The foursevens.com site has a Lumen Tale (at bottom of page) about some guys who were beset upon by some large dogs.



Just saw this... I can top that one! I can top that one! 3 weeks ago hiking deep in the jungle I ran into a tiger about midnight. I had a headlamp putting out about 5 lumens on my head, a machete in one hand and a spear in the other (long story - a few hours earlier had almost been taken out by a wild boar running accross my path and thought I'd rather fight one of these guys from 6' away than 2' away). I also had a G25C2 on my leg. 
I was by myself and it had been quiet for a couple hours (always lots of tree fogs, cricket thing's, bats buzzing you that after a while become like white noise) when all of a sudden I head the distinctive chuffing I think they call it. I froze, tensed up and on reflex yelled something loud and stupid and then it roared. I held the spear under my arm and grabbed the G2 and shined it at the roar and it ran off. It's just a guess it was the light... could have been my yell...


----------



## Calina (Feb 23, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*

I find the strobe mode quite useful and I can see situations where the beacon would be of use, but for me, the SOS is just a gimmick that Will only please wannabe adventurers and armchair survivalists.


----------



## biglinc (Feb 23, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*

I think its a pain in the butt to miss the button and have my light go from low to strobe, I use it for a work light all day long , if I miss click on the clicky (bam!) strobe , it's so annoying , I just need it to turn on and off! if I leave it on turbo it go's through the battery like my teenage kids go through a bag of dorito's ( witch I also bought) ...nitecore mh1c


----------



## Swedpat (Feb 23, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*

I voted: _I would not ever use blinky modes, no matter the interface, and I don't even want them on my light._

However I would complete my opinion with: *I never use SOS or strobe, but should possibly do it in some case of emergency or in some special situation when I need to get attention. *
Until now I have never used it, more than when demonstrating the functions of a light. All who have seen strobe hate it...


----------



## holylight (Feb 23, 2013)

I would not ever use blinky modes, no matter the interface, but I don't mind if they are there.

can only use maybe in a car breakdown situation for me. or night biking on my mountain bike


----------



## BenChiew (Feb 23, 2013)

rickypanecatyl said:


> Just saw this... I can top that one! I can top that one! 3 weeks ago hiking deep in the jungle I ran into a tiger about midnight. I had a headlamp putting out about 5 lumens on my head, a machete in one hand and a spear in the other (long story - a few hours earlier had almost been taken out by a wild boar running accross my path and thought I'd rather fight one of these guys from 6' away than 2' away). I also had a G25C2 on my leg.
> I was by myself and it had been quiet for a couple hours (always lots of tree fogs, cricket thing's, bats buzzing you that after a while become like white noise) when all of a sudden I head the distinctive chuffing I think they call it. I froze, tensed up and on reflex yelled something loud and stupid and then it roared. I held the spear under my arm and grabbed the G2 and shined it at the roar and it ran off. It's just a guess it was the light... could have been my yell...



Never encountered a situation where I needed a strobe or SOS. 
Which country are you in? Sounds dangerous.


----------



## rickypanecatyl (Feb 23, 2013)

I'm based in Malaysia and work in many of the surrounding countries. In fact I just got back from the same area! No tigers tonight though... but lots of leaches and they aint afraid of strobe, SOS or Turbo.


----------



## BenChiew (Feb 24, 2013)

rickypanecatyl said:


> I'm based in Malaysia and work in many of the surrounding countries. In fact I just got back from the same area! No tigers tonight though... but lots of leaches and they aint afraid of strobe, SOS or Turbo.



Hi. Did you say Malaysia. I am also based here. Does strobe scare away wildlife? If it does, strobe will be nice feature to have.


----------



## Samy (Feb 24, 2013)

3 weeks ago during a major flood, i was trying to get home on the rural road leading to my town and came across water about 5ft deep where i have never seen water before. It was a big rain flash flood. I parked the jeep in front of the water, pulled out 2x quark's with a traffic wands and set them on the bumpers with the strobe. Oncoming cars saw them and slowed down, before turning around for higher ground. Finally the water was rising too high so i left for higher ground. Not 10 minutes later a car came along and drove into the water because it was hard to see at night. If i had been there with my strobes it wouldn't have happened, but the weather was severe, it was 1am and dark and i had to get to higher ground.

cheers


----------



## Raiden (Feb 25, 2013)

I use the strobe mainly to get someones attention far away. Sometimes I use the strobe just to irritate my workers. LOL


----------



## ws974 (Feb 25, 2013)

I have never used it and personally I prefer a flashlight without it, however I do realize that a need for it may someday present itself.


----------



## PANGES (Feb 26, 2013)

I can see how a beacon mode would be useful if you have a tent set up amongst a bunch of other tents, or if it's somewhere that's pitch black. You can set a beacon to go off inside your tent so you can easily find your way back to it after walking off.


----------



## Grizzlyb (Feb 26, 2013)

When You use your light just the way it is meant to be used for, as a light, 95% of the time You won't need a Strobe or SOS mode. 
For that matter 99% of the time I don't use moonlight or firefly mode. 

But, for special groups of people Strobe is the best mode they have, and is the best mode to use. 
If you don't do that kind of work, You will probably never understand what I am talking about, or even choose not to believe what you cant fathom. 

Today we gave a training with tactical lights to a group of brand new students. 
The students started with a variety of lights they bought them self, or standard lights we used the last 5 years on the force (Mag/Stream/SF etc. 
They couldn't get the job done, so we gave them the new developed Tactical Lights with specialized Strobe mode. 
After 5 minutes everyone was totally convinced of the Hugh advantage of that Strobe mode. 
1 training says more in 5 minutes then I can tell You in a day.


----------



## xevious (Feb 26, 2013)

You probably should have included *Beacon* as well in this poll. I find it far more useful than SOS, as PANGES illustrated.

I'm *completely baffled* by any mainstream light manufacturer tucking an SOS mode in their flashlights. _ Why?_ Most people these days don't even know what SOS means. The most useful way to track someone down is with a beacon, because it consumes minimal energy and will be spotted in a dark desolate place. Is anyone really going to use SOS in a crowded city? I absolutely can't stand this mode and find it an annoyance.

THANKFULLY, mainstream light makers have wised up and are now offering hidden access to Strobe and SOS for some models. While I still won't use SOS, it's always good to have strobe for emergency situations. You will definitely get attention if you need it, and be able to scare off animals or startle a would-be attacker enough to make your escape or attack to disarm.

On the Nitecore EA4, if you double-click with the light on, you go to strobe. That's good. If you then click-and-hold for a second, you go to SOS mode. That's annoying. But next if you click-and-hold for another second, you get the beacon. Nitecore should have reversed the SOS and beacon positions. If they did that, I'd **NEVER** ever see SOS in my mode scrolling.


----------



## EscapeVelocity (Feb 26, 2013)

Niche strobe is good. Hidden beacons are great. 

Having the vast majority of lights with strobe and sos in mode line sucks.

I think we are coming to consensus.


----------



## Grizzlyb (Feb 27, 2013)

EscapeVelocity said:


> Niche strobe is good. Hidden beacons are great.
> 
> Having the vast majority of lights with strobe and sos in mode line sucks.
> 
> I think we are coming to consensus.



:twothumbs

This is a very good discussion. No flairs, no overheated stuff. I am glad to see so many flashaholics seriously thinking about this.
Consensus indeed seems to lean in the direction of more dedicated lights.

When you want a light to explore caves (not my thing ) , you probably have specific wishes for your light.
EDC lights will be different again and same goes for tactical lights.
For manufactors it probably is more economical to cramp 20 functions in 1 light, but thats not what most consumers want. 
(maybe there are consumers that realy WANT 50 or more modes in 1 light? )
At the moment many manufactors are already building lights that are specifically designed for different groups, but obviously not enough?

At least for LEO tactical use they realy missed the mark by far.


----------



## RemcoM (Feb 27, 2013)

kj2 said:


> I use strobe mode to scare of wild animals. Of to signal to a car, if he/she doesn't turn-off his/her hi-beam.



Go use your Fenix TK75, with strobe and turbo, for annoying cardrivers, who noy want turn down their high beams.

Then you go laugh, because The Light of the tk75 is much brighter than a carheadlight.


----------



## Samy (Feb 27, 2013)

RemcoM said:


> Go use your Fenix TK75, with strobe and turbo, for annoying cardrivers, who noy want turn down their high beams.
> 
> Then you go laugh, because The Light of the tk75 is much brighter than a carheadlight.



Better hope it's not an oncoming police car otherwise you may be up for a ticket and confiscation of your TK75 LOL 

cheers


----------



## xevious (Feb 27, 2013)

The only time I use strobe when I'm driving is when I'm merging in traffic and some crackpots won't let me move over. I blast on my strobe to the side and 9 times out of 10, they let me in. I would *never* use it on oncoming traffic. That's just stupid. Not only would you get in serious trouble if a cop spotted you doing this, if you cause an accident to the oncoming traffic and get caught, you can be sure _you'll regret it_.


----------



## PANGES (Feb 27, 2013)

xevious said:


> The only time I use strobe when I'm driving is when I'm merging in traffic and some crackpots won't let me move over. I blast on my strobe to the side and 9 times out of 10, they let me in. I would *never* use it on oncoming traffic. That's just stupid. Not only would you get in serious trouble if a cop spotted you doing this, if you cause an accident to the oncoming traffic and get caught, you can be sure _you'll regret it_.



Why is it illegal to strobe incoming traffic, but not illegal to strobe people while merging? That makes no sense to me... You're still strobing someone who's operating a huge moving piece of steel at high speeds.

Also, just wanted to throw out there that some people are really sensitive to strobes, and getting strobed can result in seizures, which is something you really don't want happening to someone behind the wheel of car, truck, bus, etc. while they're going 60-80mph.


----------



## Bullzeyebill (Feb 27, 2013)

xevious said:


> The only time I use strobe when I'm driving is when I'm merging in traffic and some crackpots won't let me move over. I blast on my strobe to the side and 9 times out of 10, they let me in.



It is time that CPF Rule 11 is evoked. If not illegal, it certainly could be considered dangerous to others. See this part of Rule 11:

You agree, through your use of this BB, that you will not post any material which is illegal or which promotes activity that is illegal or could reasonably be foreseen to threaten any person's safety.


----------



## Grizzlyb (Feb 28, 2013)

Yep, imho it is absolutely miss use and dangerous. 
A 1-ton vehicle moving around with 30 mph+ in the hands of a normal responsible driver is OK, but in the hands of a blinded person it can be a dangerous weapon that can easily kill people.

In most country's in Europe You will go to jail for blinding drivers like this.

(damn, just when I thought that we had a normal, responsible discussion about this subject, without dangerous actions/people)


----------



## JCD (Feb 28, 2013)

When I'm using my LED based bike lights, I use strobe often. The easiest way to verify the mode I'm in with more than one light running is to cycle to strobe and then advance one or two (depending on the light) modes to high.

I try to avoid riding on roads with speed limits above 30 mph, but when it is unavoidable, dark, and traffic is fairly heavy, putting one light on strobe (with the other on constant) is a viable option.

The vast majority of the time when I ride at night, I have a Planet Bike Superflash clone attached to my backpack in its blinky mode, which is similar to strobe. There is always at least one other red light attached to the bike that is at least as bright on constant, since strobing lights give poor distance cues, and my goal is to not be run down from behind.


----------



## xevious (Mar 1, 2013)

I wasn't suggesting that this be done at speed. This is when you're in grid-lock and need to merge. And I don't point the light directly at the driver, but at the place where I need to go. There is nothing illegal about that.


----------



## CaptainBrock (Mar 1, 2013)

No, sir, I DO NOT flash or strobe! Thank you very much. Now, shall we speak of loosening the head as a means of operating a light?


----------



## Grizzlyb (Mar 1, 2013)

Ok mate, but be carefull not to blind guys at the wheel. A bike strobe pointed 360 deg. generally is something completely different then a TK75 2600lumens Strobe directly in someones eyes. 
For so much the detour of strobe in traffic.
Can we go back to the dedicated use of handheld lights :twothumbs


----------



## flashlight chronic (Mar 1, 2013)

I've never gotten into any situation where I needed to use strobe or SOS (knock on wood), so I don't care for either. However, I would change my mind if I knew it repelled zombies.


----------



## xevious (Mar 1, 2013)

The Surefire U2 does not have strobe, but the good quality switch with a forward momentary on makes it easy to simulate it, when needed. You just need an agile thumb.


----------



## mrmacman2u (Mar 2, 2013)

Just gonna toss in my .02 dollars here.

I personally hate the strobe function on most lights and the S.O.S. isn't much better, but I can see it's usefulness.

The biggest issue with them is their implementation in the UI, they are emergency or extremely infrequently used functions and shouldn't be part of the normal mode cycle while also not making them so complex to access that you can't use them when you need to.

I think the Maglite xl200 has a decent way of handling it, but the best way I've come across so far has been a cheaptastic chinese grey market knock off. It had it's functions arranged in "banks", the first bank was high/mid/low, the second was high/strobe/sos/low and of course would remember what mode and bank you were in.

It could be confusing for those I lent the light to if they did not know how to swap banks if they managed to do it accidentally, but after I learned the timing, it was most excellently handled 

So, while I don't feel that strobe and SOS should be EXcluded, it should be harder to accidentally wind up in them.


----------



## rickypanecatyl (Mar 2, 2013)

Benchiew said:


> Hi. Did you say Malaysia. I am also based here. Does strobe scare away wildlife? If it does, strobe will be nice feature to have.



Ben sorry I missed your post. I don't think strobe scares them any more than turbo. It was turbo, not strobe I aimed at the tiger - and I yelled really loud as well so I can't know what made him leave.

Another Malaysian wildlife fact good to know is there are some fish attracted to light and will actually you run into you. I was swimming at night in Perhentian island with a headlamp - kind of freaky! Good to know though for fishing.


----------



## buds224 (Mar 2, 2013)

STROBE: It doesn't happen a lot, but when I get separated from my family in large crowds (busy cities in Japan), I use the strobe to get their attention and we can easily spot each other. Helps really good with the kids when they feel they've lost sight of us.

SOS: 1 time only. At my hometown, San Diego, I witnessed a horrible multi-car crash ****let this be a lesson to those who text while driving****. All lanes of traffic were blocked. I immediately stuck my LD20 in SOS mode pointing out my back window and proceeded to assist the injured drivers. A simple act of texting while driving, luckily, did not take the life of a 4 mo old baby in the back seat of a truck that rolled over 2 times. I figured, the SOS would signal other cars to stop and signal responders where the accident was.

BEACON: In harsh weather, low visibility, and on foot, I will have my TA21 pointed down with the beacon mode on, just so drivers know I'm there.

Probably all overkill, but I made use of the useless modes.


----------



## xevious (Mar 2, 2013)

^ That's a very good use of the beacon. And this is part of the reason why I feel Nitecore should have put it higher in the order, between strobe and SOS.


----------



## Grizzlyb (Mar 2, 2013)

mrmacman2u said:


> Just gonna toss in my .02 dollars here.
> 
> I personally hate the strobe function on most lights and the S.O.S. isn't much better, but I can see it's usefulness.
> 
> ...



Hmmm, very interesting idea. 
2 separate banks. 
First bank with the dally needed stuff, second bank with the " hidden" stuff. 

Could be the solution for the group that wants everything possible, but not get annoyed with the wrong stuff by accident. 

So dedicated lights with main the Strobe.. and second the regular high/med/low stuff, 
Main firefly and regular H/M/L 
Main regular. . . . . and second bank the hidden other stuff?


----------



## Ray F. (Mar 2, 2013)

I found this interesting article which discusses some of the pros and cons of strobe mode and how to use for self-defense. 

http://www.policemag.com/channel/patrol/articles/2010/06/how-to-use-a-strobing-flashlight.aspx


----------



## buds224 (Mar 3, 2013)

Grizzlyb said:


> Hmmm, very interesting idea.
> 2 separate banks.
> First bank with the dally needed stuff, second bank with the " hidden" stuff.
> 
> ...



That's how I set up my Predator. Line1 (head tightened) with 6 levels of brightness....Line 2 (head loosened) firefly mode, beacon, SOS, Strobe.


----------



## NorthernStar (Mar 3, 2013)

I like SOS and strobe modes as long as they are hidden and are not in the way when using the standard modes. Usually the SOS and strobe mode are hidden so accidental activation has not been a problem for me.

So far i have not been in any emergency situtation where i have yet needed to use the SOS,but let´s say that i am out on a fishing trip in a boat far away from the land and an emergency happens and cellular phones does not work,then the SOS mode could be usefull to signal for help. 

The strobe mode i have used,but so far not for any selfdefence situation that other talks that it could be useful for. I have used it when i had to stop at the edge of the road repairing my mountainbike and it was fog. I placed my flashlight next to the bike with strobe activated to attract drivers attention so i would not get run over.

Maybe a little oftopic,but when i like hidden SOS and strobe modes on flashlights,i don´t like beacon modes. On my Foursevens Quark Mini AA2 and Quark Mini CR123 the two extra beacon modes are only in the way and i can see no use for them.


----------



## Grizzlyb (Mar 3, 2013)

Ray F. said:


> I found this interesting article which discusses some of the pros and cons of strobe mode and how to use for self-defense.
> 
> http://www.policemag.com/channel/patrol/articles/2010/06/how-to-use-a-strobing-flashlight.aspx



Excellent article. It covers 99% of our findings in the last 8 years of developing tactical lights. 
The many pros are described perfectly. 
The con he spoke about, less detection of movement, we could counter by setting the strobe freq to 20hz. 
Now, the pros are still 100% in work, the less detection was gone. 
One of the best pros is, that it is virtually impossible for the suspect, to know the distance to the LEO when he uses a 300lm 20hz strobe in a tight beam in the opponents eyes. 

IMHO the use of a strobe for non LEO's is limited. 

There are many people with opinions about strobe, but only very little people with real knowledge about it. That guy is one of the vew with :twothumbs.


----------



## Vox Clamatis in Deserto (Mar 3, 2013)

Here's my earlier strobe story posted on CPF in 2009:



Vox Clamatis in Deserto said:


> I was walking back from a filling station in Germany at 3 am a few months ago (there were cans of Gaffel Kölsch beer involved, they sell it all night long). A couple of characters approached me from out of the darkness. They told me to stop and I kept walking. They started cursing me in German and I decided to pick up the tempo. When they got too close for comfort, I pulled out my Nitecore Extreme and twisted it to put it on high. I was a little uneasy, fumbled, and put it on strobe mode inadvertently. It was like a death ray out of a sci-fi movie, they started colliding with each other, swinging and falling down. I made it back to my hotel, they got up and followed me, a lot less aggressively. It turns out they were just a couple of roaring drunk college students looking for directions to the train station. I pointed them in the right direction (head for the Dom) and called it a night.
> 
> I never thought much of the strobe function until that demo but it really gave me just enough egress on a dark street to depart for safer territory.





Moonshadow said:


> Great story ! Are you sure it was the strobe though, or how much of it was down to the 15 beers inside 'em ? :drunk:
> 
> Come to think of it, I'm surprised the combination of strobe plus beers didn't make 'em puke up - coulda been a right mess ! :green:





Vox Clamatis in Deserto said:


> Actually, the strobe scene reminded me of more than just a sci-fi movie. As I think back, my fight or flight reaction was reminiscent of a line from Cleavon Little in _Blazing Saddles_: "And now, for my next impression, Jesse Owens!":laughing:



http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...-replace-E1B&p=2858018&viewfull=1#post2858018


----------



## wordwalker3 (Mar 3, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*

Grizzlyb

I've never needed to use a strobe or SOS mode. I don't care if thay are there so long as I do NOT have to scroll through them. That is why for EDC I prefer Thrunite 1C or 1A, or Eagletac D25C Ti or D25A Ti. Your comment on flood versus throw is interesting, I would have thought flood would be better due to the wider angle of coverage needing less specific aim. I guess more focused or tighter aim is better in either case. 
thanks for your input.
Boyd


----------



## Grizzlyb (Mar 4, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*

Great story Vox. 
You where way ahead of You'r time. 
Keep in mind, Blinding and desorienting is 1 thing, making good use of the advantage is the second. 

Wordwalker,
Flood has two big con's. 
1. With the same level of lumens, the amount of light that hits the target is strongly reduced in a flood like beam. 
The more focus (higher lux) hits the target the greater the effect.
2. Often we work in duo's. A flood type light will set my partner in full light the instant he walks to the opponent. The less light leaks from the tight beam the better.

During trainings it is very good to see where the partner can safely walk without being seen. 
With a good throw beam I can almost get up to touching the opponent without being detected (working in a wide V formation and very low light situations).


----------



## murphys_law (Mar 4, 2013)

Strobe yes, SOS no


----------



## xevious (Mar 7, 2013)

Olight M20/M21 has two controls--rotating head and tail cap switch. But you can lock the light on strobe with the head selection and it stays in memory. Then any time you press the tail you get strobe, either momentary or full on. The only way to release it from strobe is loosen/tighten of the head to move to the next mode, which is access to the three brightness settings. After taking the light out of strobe mode for standard use, a few quick turns of the head and the light is back on strobe, then turned off and ready for the next encounter. Despite having to scroll through strobe when cycling through the brightness settings, I kind of like this interface and it seems like it would work for police use.


----------



## burntoshine (Mar 9, 2013)

There's a decent chance this has already been mentioned, but I don't feel like reading through every post... SOS is intended for emergency use, so hopefully no one uses it often. The question should have been about strobe and beacon modes, or blinky modes in general. Asking people how often they use SOS seems like an odd question; at least to me.

Having said that, I like strobe being available, but have not yet needed it. No one has tried to mug me or anyone I'm with, in a while. I really like beacon modes, especially really low level ones. HDS' have the option of going into a low level beacon mode when you turn off the light, which I think is great; however the beacon ALWAYS being on when the light is off is not something I want. It can be distracting. There should be a simple toggle on/off sequence (maybe 5 clicks from off) so it will still go into beacon mode every time you turn the light off, until you do the click sequence. Then it will never come on. A good shortcut to strobe would be click, click, press-hold; possibly only as momentary.

I'm a big fan of programmable lights. That's why I gravitate towards Liteflux and HDS. There's a lot of flexibility in those lights. If you want, you can have blinky modes be your primary mode, or not at all. Actually, I only have a LF3XT now. I sold two LF2XTs and a LF5XT. But the LF3XT is almost always on the mountain bike that I'm riding with the slowest double-flash programmed into the 3rd mode. That mode is perfect for bicycle visibility.


----------



## DougL (Dec 7, 2013)

Early last month I started a thread on this forum/site purely related to beacon mode, its optimal frequency, and the uses people have for that mode.
Buds224: You were one of only two other posters in that thread. You and I both seem to like the versatility of the Fenix TA21 in general and in its relatively fast beacon mode of about 1 hz. I prefer that frequency to the once every 10 seconds or so rate that others like in their Quark which I feel would be okay for a true locator beacon but too slow for a "watch out for me/ I'm here" use.
I recently used my strobe mode which I have on several lights. About three weeks ago, I was walking in midtown Manhattan on the West Side. I was carrying several lights as usual, two or three on my keychain, a Fenix e11 and an Olight I15 in my pocket, and a couple of larger 18650 lights in my bag. An ambulance was trying to make its way up 8th Avenue. I was crossing 26th Street and decided to help out as there was a red light on 9th Avenue and the cross street traffic wouldn't stop to allow the uptown traffic, and the ambulance along with it in its emergency run, to progress uptown. I took out my Olight I15 and shined it west, across the street, at the ground in front of the two cars [in the double lane at the intersection] which would otherwise have proceeded through the intersection along with the cars behind them. The fast strobe grabbed their attention and kept those drivers from entering the intersection, allowing the uptown traffic to proceed. I am often annoyed at how New York City drivers seem to ignore sirens (from ambulances, police cars, fire trucks), each one trying to be the last one to get through so as not to be bothered, allowing the driver behind to be the responsible citizen who will (?) stop to let the emergency vehicle through. If more pedestrians carried flashlights with a strobe function, more people could be unofficial "deputies" helping emergency vehicles negotiate traffic snarls, and I suspect countless lives and properties could be saved. If it is done responsibly, I don't see it being dangerous; on the contrary, I think it is the low cost solution to a problem that has plagued urban traffic for decades. In addition, it brings people together as a community of caring individuals, creating an environment where everyone on the road can work together in responding to the wail of the emergency siren. I generally don't like that the strobe on the Olight T and I series lights are not hidden modes, but for this purpose it proves very useful, from either a double momentary tap from the off position or the next full depress click after the light is on in any steady on output.


----------



## BillSWPA (Dec 8, 2013)

*Re: Strobe, anyone?*



Grizzlyb said:


> Strobe does work for that what it is intended for, disorientation.
> It will not STOP an attacker, but it does disorientate.
> When You are trained to use that short moment of disorientation, It helps to control the opponent faster. That's all.
> Take all the advantages to Your side, or create advantages. (that's what the word "tactical" is all about)
> ...



Excellent post! Very well explained! Even so, your points are best understood when the following is added.



Grizzlyb said:


> Today we gave a training with tactical lights to a group of brand new students.
> The students started with a variety of lights they bought them self, or standard lights we used the last 5 years on the force (Mag/Stream/SF etc.
> They couldn't get the job done, so we gave them the new developed Tactical Lights with specialized Strobe mode.
> After 5 minutes everyone was totally convinced of the Hugh advantage of that Strobe mode.
> 1 training says more in 5 minutes then I can tell You in a day.



One thing I have noticed about most of those I have come across advocating strobe in a defensive role is the extent to which they have tested their theories. If your use of strobe - or any other tool or tactic = is for serious purposes, you should be testing what really works, what does not work, and whether there might be better ways to do it. That testing should be done against a _noncompliant_ (not one that is going to do anything unsafe, but one that will not give you a "win" you didn't earn) training partner, preferably trained as you have been trained and trying to achieve a "win" himself. Try some force-on-force scenarios (with appropriate gear and safety precautions) with and without the strobe, and see what happens. It is interesting that Grizzlyb has done so, and has come to essentially the same conclusions as everyone else that has done so.

I am not in law enforcement and don't claim to be anything other than an intensely interested hobbyist who seeks out the best training and information I can find. I do make my and my family's safety a personal priority, and a good light is one of many pieces of that puzzle. My most common current EDC is a FourSevens QT2L programmed to come on in strobe with the bezel tightened and maximum with the bezel loosened. I carry it with the bezel tight, so in an emergency I get strobe by default. If I just need light, I probably have time to rotate the bezel and get constant light. 

The one subject on which there is some divergence of experience is the usefulness of an interface like that on the Klarus XT series lights, with some some people finding that they work really well, and Grizzlyb's experiences to the contrary. I recently acquired an XT2C, and use of this UI under stress is definitely something I need to experiment with. I just tried it with gloves, and in a non-stressful situation the interface works with gloves.


----------



## Loed7984 (Jan 17, 2014)

*R: Poll: Do You Use Strobe/SOS Modes?*

I use often the strobe mode but mainly for traffic signaling during accidents, in this way it is very effective. and sometimes I had to use it for personal safety purposes. But it's not so common 

Inviato dal mio HUAWEI G525-U00 utilizzando Tapatalk


----------

