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Finding a Good LED Flashlight for Patrol
Let’s face it, with so many flashlights in the market to choose from today, it can be difficult to find “the” one that is just right. No one ever likes to think they are making a poor choice when they make a purchase, but; it never seems to fail, shortly after you buy something, you’ll see something you like more.
For many police officers, flashlights are provided by their departments and they don’t get a choice, for others, it’s a personal choice and finding the right light can be daunting. Regardless if you are the officer making a decision for a SWAT team, a new cadet buying your first flashlight or an old road dog upgrading your incandescent light that’s seen better days, thinking about what you will do with that light will help point you in the right direction.
What do you mean what will I do with it? I’m going to light things up, dummy! Well, you’re right; you will light things up with it; but, how, where, when and why? When you are armed with the answers to these questions, you will be able to make a better choice for your needs; that way, when your buddy shows up and you begin to think he got something better, you won’t be second guessing your first choice.
For police work there are three types of lights; weapon mounted, vehicle mounted and those that are carried personally. People usually think of personally carried lights when they think of a flashlight. Weapon mounted lights have very special uses and an officer that has a weapon mounted light, even on a pistol, should also have a personally carried light as well. Pointing a “loaded flashlight” at an old lady with chest pain just isn’t cool. So let’s discuss personally carried lights and leave the vehicle and weapon mounted lights for another time.
It used to be one size fits most, when it came to flashlights. Today, if you have the budget and the arm strength, you can buy a high intensity discharge (HID) handheld light that puts out 5000 lumens for over 110 minutes; you can also buy a light you put on your keychain with a pushbutton LED that will last about 1000 hours and provide enough light to read your favorite novel. A 5000 lumen light would be great for search and rescue and a pushbutton LED would be great for a sniper that was referring to windage charts in low light. Somewhere between the aircraft landing light and the reading light there is a light suitable to your task.
For police work a light must be dependable, it doesn’t matter how bright it is supposed to be if it doesn’t work. A good light for patrol should run for at least 90 minutes on its highest setting before needing fed new batteries. Rechargeable batteries are always a good upgrade, when your light can accept them. If you go the rechargeable route make sure you invest in the best rechargeable batteries you can buy; your life may depend on them.
Brightness is also an important factor. If you are new to LED light technology, figure 80 lumens is brighter than older flashlights with 4 D Cell batteries. How bright is too bright? Well, if you are in low light or darkness, are you looking for bad guys? There are lights out now that are 400 to 500 lumens, that’s bright! However; with that much light, you could easily toast your low light vision and the bad guys for that matter and you are probably going to have enough backwash (light reflecting off everything in the room) to light up yourself as well.
I’m not against lights that are that bright; but, sometimes too much isn’t just right. Also consider as the lumens go up, the runs times go down and the light requires more batteries to feed its hunger for power. For me, 80 to 200 lumens is the neighborhood I look for in a good patrol light. 80 to 200 lumens is brighter than anything we have ever had access to, it is plenty of light to light up even the biggest of rooms we search and it is not so much light that we blind ourselves or silhouette ourselves in the process.
Along with the brightness comes adjustability. Having an LED light set to its highest setting isn’t required all the time. When you just need a “little” light for a task, having the ability to turn the light down is a must. Lower settings help conserve your low light vision and it saves on battery life as well. Most LED lights have several settings to adjust the light. The more the better; but be sure the light you consider has immediate access to the brightest setting so it can be accessed if a threat suddenly pops up. You don’t want to be fumbling with a light switch if you’re trying to acquire a bad guy.
A strobe function is also a good addition to a patrol light. If you are not familiar with “strobing,” it is a feature on today’s newest lights. Flashing a strobe light into the eyes of a subject in low light has been shown to disorient them, sometimes to the point of making them physically sick. For the user, being behind the light, the same untoward effects are not felt. The strobe can be a dramatic, intimidating tactic in low light. Like the adjustability; if your new light is going to have a strobe feature, it needs to be immediately accessible in a crisis situation.
The ability to carry the light also must be considered. For years, flashlights have been a round tube with the light at one end, the batteries stacked behind the light head and a switch on the tube or on the tail cap. New developments have changed the way we carry our lights, as well. There are lights you can clip on your shirt pocket or lapel, there are even lights you can wear on your head.
One company has designed a flashlight that is worn on the hand so both of your hands are free while using the light. To me this is an interesting concept. Think about this for a minute; if you are on a traffic stop in low light, do you have your light out? What are you going to do with that light if you need to demonstrate field sobriety tests? Write a ticket? Handcuff the subject? You are going to do what we all do, stick the light in your mouth (if it’s small enough), stick it in your belt or stick it under your arm. What about shooting at night? We all have our favorite flashlight technique for shooting a night; but, if the gun malfunctions or we need to reload, the light goes right into our mouths or under our arm.
Having a light on your hand and not in your hand is the biggest advance in flashlight technology I have seen to date. With this latest addition to the law enforcement field; a good patrol light should have the ability to be used and keep both hands free for other tasks as well.
You are now armed with the information you need to go forth and find a new light suited for police work. To summarize; the light should: run for at least 90 minutes on new batteries without a recharge, be 80 to 200 lumens in strength, be adjustable from full power to low power with instant access to the highest setting; have a strobe function with instant access and have the ability to keep both of your hands free while the light is in use. This a pretty tall order for a good patrol light. They are out there, just spend some time to find the light that is right for you; your life could depend on it.
About the Author
Rick London has been a police officer for sixteen years and is co-owner of www.tacticalleds.com. Rick has written numerous articles regarding LED flashlight technology and the application of LEDs to tactical LED flashlights used in law enforcement and public service.
SureFire Titan T1A high end mini pocket flashlight
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Blackberry Torch 9850/ 9860 Leather Pocket Case and Travel Charger $20.99 This is a leather pocket case and travel charger for Blackberry Torch 9850/ 9860. It is custom designed for your Blackberry and keeps your phone from scratches. |
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Multi Tool with Flashlight $26.5 If youre looking for a unique must have gift for the men in your life look no further than with our personalized Multi Tool with Flashlight Fashioned as a mini pocket knife this one of a kind product packs a lot of function into a very small package Size Measures 2 12 by 1 inch wide Materials Aluminum stainless steel and nylon Please allow 35 extra business days for personalized products to ship Personalization The Multi Tool with Flashlight may be engraved with up to 3 block initials at No Additional Cost Personalization Included Please CLICK HERE for personalization Or purchase item below without personalization |
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Pelican 1830 Flashlight $13.99 0.56 oz – without Batteries 0.70 W 1.20 oz – with Batteries 1830 1830-010-245 3 x AAAA Alkaline 4.5 V DC 50 Hour 6.20″ Length 600 lux/8 Lumen CE Ex: II 2 G EEx ia IIB T4 Certificate: NEMKO 06ATEX1057 US FM C: Class I, Div. 1 Gp. CD T4A / Class I Div. 2 Gp. ABCD T4A L4 1830 Flashlight 3 x AAAA Alkaline Battery On/Off Push Button Switch he L4 is a handy, unbelievably bright LED flashlight that’s powered by 3 AAAA alkaline cells (included). The light weight, slim profile design fits neatly in your pocket and comfortably in your hand. A tail button switch provides quick on/off or momentary activation. The clip is virtually unbreakable because it is molded to the Xenoy body as one unit. And because it is molded out of polycarbonate resin, it won’t cause sparks and is safe to use in electrical environments. Battery Flashlight L4 L4 1830 Flashlight LED LED White Lightweight Pelican Pelican Products, Inc Pocket Clip Polycarbonate Water Resistant Yellow www.pelican.com |
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Pelican SabreLite 2000 Flashlight $28.99 10000 lux/33 Lumen 12.80 oz – with Batteries 2000 2000-010-110 3 x C Alkaline 3.30 W 4.5 V DC 5 Hour 5.31 oz – without Batteries 7.79″ Length CSA: Class I, Div. 2; Gp ABCD, T3C; Class ll; Div. 2; Gp G FM: Class l, ll, Div. 2; Gp. ABCD/G , T3C UL: Listed 4S67/E184884 Class I, Div. 1; Gp.C, D / Class l; Zone 1; Gp.llA; llB; T3C MSHA: 10C-629-2 IECEx: IEC Ex TSA 06.0021X Ex ib e IIC T4 IP67 AUS: Ex e ib llC T4 IP67 Cert #AUS Ex 04.3953X CE Ex: ll 3 GD EEx nL llC T4 135°C Certificate: Epsilon 02ATEX1185X IP76 (1 meter for 30 mins) Submersible to 500 feet This powerful flashlight was designed with one thing in mind safety. It carries more approvals than any other flashlight on the market today, making it safe for any hazardous environment or condition. The SabreLite is o-ring sealed with a twist-on shroud and comes with a polarity battery guard tray that safeguards against dangerous “outgassing” of hydrogen from an accidentally reversed cell. It is powered by 3 C alkaline cells, submersible, and has an ABS resin body which resists chemicals, corrosion, and extreme temperatures. Unlike ordinary flashlights that produce a yellow beam, the SabreLite’s incredibly bright Xenon lamp produces a powerful collimated white beam. Pelican’s SabreLite is the leader in quality and performance. Twist On/Off Switch ABS Body Black Chemical Resistant Corrosion Resistant Flashlight Lanyard Ring Nylon Lens Pelican Pelican Products, Inc Pocket Clip SabreLite SabreLite 2000 Flashlight US Water Resistant Xenon Bulb Xenon Bulb White www.pelican.com |
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Essential Gear Solar Pull Flashlight $19.95 Solar and string pull dynamo LED flashlight uses solar or dynamo power sources to recharge high-efficiency lithium battery. Compact size can fit in shirt pocket. 15 lumens. Water resistant. Size: 5.5″ x 2″ x 0.8″. Wt: 3.2 oz. |
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Energizer Pen Flashlight $6.99 0% 1 Each 100 Hour 2 x AAA 6 Lumen Pen light features one watt lifetime LED bulb that never needs changing. Bulb is 12 times brighter than standard bulbs. Push button tail switch offers one-handed operation. Secure clip holds fast to pocket, briefcase or tool bag. Aluminum body minimizes damage from dropping and abuse. Pen light offers 6 lumens and a 100-hour run time and runs on two AAA batteries. Push-button switch Aluminum Body Battery China Energizer Energizer Holdings, Inc LED No PLED23AEH Pen Flashlight Pen Light Pocket Clip Silver www.energizer.com |
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Engraved Multi Tool with Flashlight $23.74 If you’re looking for a unique must have gift for the men in your life, look no further than with our personalized Multi Tool with Flashlight by Cathy’s Concepts. Fashioned as a mini pocket knife, this one of a kind tool packs a lot of function into a very small package. Crafted of stainless steel and aluminum, this ideal gift features 8 handy tools: a Phillips and flathead screwdriver, knife, bottle opener, pliers, wire cutter, LED flashlight and saw. All these features plus a handy nylon pouch to keep it close by at all times create a timeless keepsake he’ll treasure for years! When you add his initials to the outside, this fantastic gift becomes absolutely amazing! This gift item will be cherished for years to come and is sure to be used on a daily basis. This unique multi tool is a great way to say “Thank You” to a faithful groomsman.Engraving Options: The Multi Tool with Flashlight may be engraved with up to 3 block initials at No Additional Cost. Please enter the information in the space provided above. Be sure to add all information exactly as you would like it to appear. Please allow up to 2-3 business days for personalized items to ship. Features: • Made of aluminum and stainless steel • Includes LED folding light tool and spring loaded pliers • Tools include: Phillips and flathead screwdriver, knife, bottle opener, wire cutter and saw • Nylon belt pouch keeps tool nearby at all times • Personalize with up to 3 initials Size: 2 1/2″tall x 1″wide |
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Swiss Tech Solar LED Flashlight Keychain $6.99 The pocket-sized, incredibly lightweight, amazingly bright, solar powered key ring flashlight with pushbutton control and swivel-action chain. Fully recharges in sunshine, daylight or indoor light to provide 3 hours of non-stop light in total darkness! Stored in a lighted area with the solar panel up, the Swiss Tech 3-LED Solar Flashlight remains always fully charged and ready to go! Recharges fully with sunshine, daylight and indoor light. LEDs function continuously in complete darkness for … |
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