strobes?

Status
Not open for further replies.

labnoti

Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2018
Messages
1,892
I just bought a new "tactical" flashlight. It has a strobe feature. I talked to one guy who trains SWAT teams and he dislikes strobes because it came on when an officer didn't want it. On the other hand, this older article suggests they are both popular and useful among police: https://www.policemag.com/340344/how-to-use-a-strobing-flashlight

I am not law enforcement. My new flashlight replaces an EDC penlight. I carry it every day, and besides every-day uses, the critical circumstances for which I could use it include home defense, and self-defense at night around vehicles (parking lots, rural highways, county roads), and while wilderness camping.

I didn't want the strobe. It just comes with a lot of lights nowadays. SWAT guy made me think I added something that can go wrong. I can train my grip to avoid the mode/strobe button, or train to employ it intentionally. I sort of like the idea of simple stuff that can't go wrong. That would mean no strobe and no dimmer settings, just 1600 lumens or off. I can use a keychain light when I need it.

So what's your opinion on strobes and why?
 
You usually have 3 clicks for strobe and plenty of lights without the strobe feature. I need a couple of EDC lights since daylight hours are getting shorter.
 
I can see it experimentally as a non-lethal tool like those laser dazzler things. I don't think I have a use for any of that. For home invasion, I just need target identification. I'm not screwing around trying to disorient anyone. Away from home, I don't see myself using that either. I'm either going to be forced to fire or I will go away as fast as possible. I don't see myself waiting around while I disorient anybody.

The strobe on this light activates by holding the mode switch for 0.5 seconds. The whole mode switch sucks because it's either going to dim the light or strobe it. Fenix, Streamlight, Surefire all have strobes on their high output (>1000 lumen) lights.
 
I only buy lights with an on/off switch. I don't want multiple light levels or strobes. I want the light to come on when I push the button and go off when I push it again.
 
Enough professionals have tried them to see if they disrupt shooting at them or making you disoriented or nauseous. The answer is no for most despite magazine articles that promoted them.
 
The only truly EDC flashlight (tiny - fits in my pocket easily) that I have is a Fenix LD01. I only put it in my pocket when I have to be out in civilization at night (which is rare). It has one of those useless & annoying (IMO) Strobe functions that I have to cycle thru. Prior to putting it in my pocket, I cycle thru the variations to re-familiarize myself with them and to leave it set to come on BRIGHT if I need it.

When I am out & about in the dark I will always have a 3C LED Maglite in-hand (I keep a 4C LED permanently in the truck). The 3C LED lights have circuitry that allows some configuration. I have mine set for, Intermittent is BRIGHT(!), 2 clicks is solid BRIGHT(!) and 3 quick clicks is solid DIM ... which is perfect for my needs. :)

For years back in the '70s I carried a 7C Kel-Lite (as well as a CCW) pretty much everywhere. That flashlight proved itself to be a really good attitude changer on a few occasions. In a tight spot, it could quickly be wickedly effective ... and it provided decent light, too. ;)
 
I'm convinced the strobe is not something I want to use. How do I get rid of it? It's a Fenix PD36 with 1600 lumens and it fits in my pocket. Like I wrote earlier, anything similar from Surefire or Streamlight also has a strobe. Is there one like this that doesn't?
 
Hate anything more than on or off with a passion. I sort of could get behind maybe high/low or red/white but I would prefer that you have to click to it with a slider or a completely separate button having to cycle through three or more modes of varying usefulness just to get the thing on or off is highly annoying.

It's getting better but strobes used to be featured on everything and drove me batty.
 
Some of us used them overseas, and they seemed to work well. In a controlled chaos situation like a raid at night, the enemy is experiencing sensory overloads from door charges, flashbangs, K9's, and all of the other things contributing to the speed, surprise, and violence of action that goes along with such an operation. Strobe weapon lights can contribute a little more.
 
I had a flashlight with a strobe that was too easy to accidentally activate and had to stop using it. The one I use now does have a strobe but it is more or less impossible to activate it accidentally. I have never used the strobe feature for anything practical and never intend to use it for anything practical. I do agree that it is disorienting, but I have no idea why it would be less disorienting for the user than for someone downrange. I certainly do not find that I am immune to the disorienting effects of a strobe just because I'm the one holding the light.

I do NOT like multiple modes on flashlights. I can see two modes (low for close work) and high for normal use as long as the flashlight always comes on in the last mode used and switching between the two modes is very simple, foolproof, and impossible to do accidentally.

I detest the apparent trend toward lights with lots of modes. It's ridiculous to have more than 2 brightness modes, especially if you have to cycle through them one at a time to get to the one you want. IMO, the SOS and strobe modes that seem to be common these days make even less sense.

The problem is, as I see it, is that the primary consumer of flashlights is a gimmick lover, not a serious user. If it were different, the light makers would have to knuckle under and make serious lights that just work but don't have a handful of modes, only 1 or 2 of which ever are actually used. But the gimmick lovers apparently outnumber the serious users significantly.
 
I'm convinced the strobe is not something I want to use. How do I get rid of it? It's a Fenix PD36 with 1600 lumens and it fits in my pocket. Like I wrote earlier, anything similar from Surefire or Streamlight also has a strobe. Is there one like this that doesn't?
Yes. The Olight M2R Warrior can bet set where the tail switch is momentary turbo (1000 lumens) with partial press / constant turbo (1000 lumens) with deep press, or momentary turbo (1500 lumens) with partial press / momentary strobe (1500 lumens) with deep press. The side switch accesses all other modes. The tail switch always goes into whichever turbo setting you've programmed the light into. It goes into turbo from off, and if the light has already been turned on in another mode from the side switch the tail switch overrides that and still goes into turbo. My M2R is set to the 1k lumen momentary / constant turbo. The only other way to get it to go into strobe is to very intentionally do a quick triple click of the side switch. The M2R has the deep carry clip that Fenix copied for the PD36. The only downside is that in body charging requires using Olight's proprietary magnetic cable that's included with the light.

If you want a USB-C charged 21700 battery light, there's the Acebeam T36. The T36's tail switch is constant/momentary on 2000 lumen turbo, no strobe from the tail switch at all. The T36 likewise has a side switch which allows access to other modes, including a quick triple click being the only way to access strobe. The downside is that the clip isn't deep carry, and the T36 is a bit bigger than the M2R (and probably a bit bigger than your PD36).

Both the M2R and the T36 have an ultra-low mode, which is great for preserving dark adapted vision.

While it lacks a true ultra-low mode, the Klarus XT2CR might also interest you.
 
Some of us used them overseas, and they seemed to work well. In a controlled chaos situation like a raid at night, the enemy is experiencing sensory overloads from door charges, flashbangs, K9's, and all of the other things contributing to the speed, surprise, and violence of action that goes along with such an operation. Strobe weapon lights can contribute a little more.
Thanks for sharing that. It is nice to finally hear of an actual use (other than marketing "hyperbole" [*cough*bullcrap*cough*]) for the flashlight strobe function. :)
 
Strobe is very useful when facing hostiles. I used strobe to good effect in my overseas time as major league door kicker and door kicking instructor.

For a pocket EDC light, I would prefer not to have a strobe. You try to adjust the brightness and all of a sudden you pushed this button or that button too long or too short and you have some SOS beacon nonsense that takes you 5 minutes of aggravation to shut off.
 
Unlike most of you I work in an environment where firearms are not allowed and my only defensive weapon is Mark IV Pepper Spray. Did I mention that I'm one of only three officers amoung over 100 plus (and at times over 400) violent convicted felons. The E-65 rides unnoticed in my back pocket set on the highest lumens (over 600). Have tried the strobe feature under normal lighting conditions on CO's and it's very disorienting
 
Unlike most of you I work in an environment where firearms are not allowed and my only defensive weapon is Mark IV Pepper Spray. Did I mention that I'm one of only three officers amoung over 100 plus (and at times over 400) violent convicted felons. The E-65 rides unnoticed in my back pocket set on the highest lumens (over 600). Have tried the strobe feature under normal lighting conditions on CO's and it's very disorienting

I did the same at the same job. 800 lumen strobe clipped inside my weak side pocket. Works even better shining into a dark cell to disorient before a forced extraction.
 
I just bought a new "tactical" flashlight. It has a strobe feature. I talked to one guy who trains SWAT teams and he dislikes strobes because it came on when an officer didn't want it. On the other hand, this older article suggests they are both popular and useful among police: https://www.policemag.com/340344/how-to-use-a-strobing-flashlight

I am not law enforcement. My new flashlight replaces an EDC penlight. I carry it every day, and besides every-day uses, the critical circumstances for which I could use it include home defense, and self-defense at night around vehicles (parking lots, rural highways, county roads), and while wilderness camping.

I didn't want the strobe. It just comes with a lot of lights nowadays. SWAT guy made me think I added something that can go wrong. I can train my grip to avoid the mode/strobe button, or train to employ it intentionally. I sort of like the idea of simple stuff that can't go wrong. That would mean no strobe and no dimmer settings, just 1600 lumens or off. I can use a keychain light when I need it.

So what's your opinion on strobes and why?
Use a mirror to "test" the strobe on yourself, at whatever distance you want, and decide for yourself about it's "worth".
:D
 
I did test the strobe on myself. I had my wife hold it. What I found was that I had a reflexive blink, squint or closing of my eyes. With the 1600 lumen beam's hotspot on my face from about 4 yards, I could still hold my eyes open or squint, not looking directly into the beam. On strobe, I started to blink involuntarily. I did not feel dizzy, nauseated or disoriented. I just had to blink frequently.

I can see some value to the strobe if I was approaching a hostile person who did not have a firearm, and I needed to apprehend them. I'm sure I would have to follow authorized procedures, but I can see strobe as a precursor to OC spray, taser, and other methods. The strobe could allow an officer to close distance while the subject's visual sense is somewhat impaired.

Again, I have no use for this as a civilian self-defender and I see it as a liability for both civilians and law enforcement during more critical lethal-force encounters where it just screws with everyone's visual sense in a time when visual acuity and accurate visual information is critical to good decision-making.

The Olight M2R and T36 sound like they have just as much BS as Surefire, Fenix, and Streamlight. The Fenix has an on-off only tailswitch. It remembers the last mode setting. Mode is set by the forward side button. It cycles through 5 levels. Hold the mode button for 0.5 seconds for strobe. Strobe cannot be unintentionally activated by the tailswitch. I just need to completely disable the mode button and the controls will be ideal.

Another problem I've had with it: The tailswitch is activated when I sit in the car. It starts burning a 1600 lumen hole in my pocket. It gets hot.
 
The Olight M2R and T36 sound like they have just as much BS as Surefire, Fenix, and Streamlight. The Fenix has an on-off only tailswitch. It remembers the last mode setting. Mode is set by the forward side button. It cycles through 5 levels. Hold the mode button for 0.5 seconds for strobe. Strobe cannot be unintentionally activated by the tailswitch. I just need to completely disable the mode button and the controls will be ideal.

Another problem I've had with it: The tailswitch is activated when I sit in the car. It starts burning a 1600 lumen hole in my pocket. It gets hot.
Well, if you can live with lower output, but you want the ultimate in durability with potted electronics there's always Elzetta and Malkoff. If your pockets are deep, there's also HDS.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top