ISO Search and Rescue Tactical Flashlight w/Red option

[bigbigjon]

I am in Search and Rescue and I am looking for a new higher power tactical light. I have been running 6 different Zebra Lights (1-AA (red), 4-18650(White Headlamps), 1-21700(White Flashlight), Black Diamond and Petzl Headlamps, a Fenix Headlamp, ThruNite TN36 (4x18650 High Output Search Light Heavy and Large), and a Ledlenser P5R (lower output but Great light). I am primarily running 18650 but have one Zebra Light for my helmet that runs a 21700.

I am thinking about the Fenix TK26R Tactical Flashlight - 1500 Lumens, I love the fact that it is multicolor with red. If no Red LED I can use a filter if necessary. The one thing though is that I would love to have something closer to a 1000Lumens for High and 2000+ on Turbo.

==================Flashlight Recommendation Checklist================

1) How would you prefer to purchase the light?

____I would like to purchase the light in person from a brick and mortar store. I am located in ______________.
__X__This will be mail-order or Online (location doesn't matter).


2) Budget: An easy question, but you may change your mind after answering the rest!

____I don't know yet
____Up to $25.
____Up to $50.
____Up to $100.
___X_Up to $200.
____Up to $300.
____Essentially unlimited.


3) Format:

____I am not sure, please help me decide.
__X__I want a flashlight (hand held/self contained).
____I want a self-contained headlamp.
____I want a headlamp with an external pack/power source.
____I want a mounted light (typically for a bicycle or vehicle)
____I want a lantern/area light.
____I want a portable spotlight (it may have an external power source).
____Other ____________________________________________


4) Size:

____MICRO - Keychain size.
____TINY - Every day carry (2-4 inches).
__X__SMALL - Every day carry (4-7 inches).
__X__MEDIUM - Holster/belt ring carry. (>7 inches)
____LARGE - Big enough to need its own travel case.
____I don't know/I don't care.


5) Emitter/Light source:

__X__LED (known for efficiency, longevity, and compactness)
____Incandescent (known for superior color rendition)
____HID (known for max output, but often at the expense of size)
____I don't know.


6) Manufacturer:

__X__I want to buy a light from a large/traditional manufacturer that is ready to go out of the box.
____I would like a light from a specialty manufacturer (Possibly limited run/Custom).
____I am interested in assembling my own components. (for example a "host" or flashlight body from one manufacturer, and a "drop-in" emitter from another source).


7) What power source do you want to use?

____I intend to use "Primary"/Disposable Alkaline batteries based on the usual AAA/AA/C/D sized cells common to most stores.
____I intend to use "Primary"/Disposable Lithium batteries based on the usual AAA/AA/C/D and CR123 sized cells common to most stores (often a cold weather or long storage choice).
____I intend to use Rechargeable cells (NiMH or NiCD) based on the usual AAA/AA/C/D sized cells common to most stores.
__X__I intend to use Rechargeable cells based on less common formats (18500 or 18650 Li-Ion, RCR123, et-al).
____I want a light with an integrated rechargeable battery pack.
____I don't know/I need more information on power sources.

7a) If you have selected a rechargeable option
____I want a light that plugs directly into the wall (literally with prongs built into the light)
__X__I want a light that has a recharging adapter (your typical "wall wart")
__X__I want a light that snaps into a cradle (usually mounted on a wall)
__X__I want a separate/stand-alone charger (this involves removing the batteries to charge)
____I don't care


8) How much genuine out the front (OTF) light do you want/need? Sometimes you can have too much light (trying to read up close up with a 100 lumen light is not a happy experience).

____I want to navigate a dark room or read a map (1-10 lumens).
____I want an indoor "blackout" light (15-50 lumens)
____I want to confidently walk around an unlit/unpaved rural area (60-150 lumens).
____I want to illuminate my entire backyard or a campsite (150-300 lumens).
____I want to illuminate an entire field, the neighbor's front yard several houses down, impress my friends and neighbors, etc. (300-700 lumens).
__X__I want search and rescue type illumination (800+ lumens).

__X__SPECIAL NOTE: Burst/Turbo mode Category - There are several lights that will run at a super bright maximum for a very limited period (usually 5-10 minutes) and then will "step-down" to a lower level for thermal control. Check here if this is acceptable.


9) Flood vs Throw: Flood covers an area, Throw reaches out to a distance.

____All Flood: I am doing "arms length" tasks like reading and campsite cooking.
____Wide Flood: I want a defined flood area for semi-close tasks like after-dark campsite tasks or working on a car.
____Narrow Flood: I want a sharply defined flood area that will project some distance for tasks like trail walking.
__X__Wide Throw: I want a beam with a noticeable hot-center for distance throw and a significant amount of "side-spill". Good for rough trail hiking, search and rescue, and general distance work.
____Narrow Throw: I want a beam with a very tight "hot center" and minimal "side-spill". Good for distance viewing, fog, and looking through dense undergrowth.
____Turbohead: I want a far-distance projector with a sharply focused spot of light and minimal or zero side-spill. Good for extreme distance and impressing your friends.

9a) Distance: How far away will you typically need to see with this light (check all that apply)
____Less than 1 yard/meter (reading, other close work)
____Less than 5 yards/meters (looking for something inside a dark shed/garage/basement)
____5-20 yards/meters (check out a noise in the backyard)
____30-50 yards/meters (I have a big backyard)
__X__50-150 yards/meters (I live in a very rural area/farm with wide open spaces)
__X__150+ yards (I am searching from a helicopter)

10) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims, but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries (Measured on maximum continuous output).

____Up to 30 minutes (I want the brightest [and potentially smallest] light for brief periods)
____30-60 minutes (I have plenty of batteries just ready to be changed)
__Hi__90-120 minutes (Runtime is moderately important, but still not critical)
__Med__3 hours + (I critically need this light to run on max for extended periods in between battery changes/charges).




11) Durability/Usage: Generally the old phrase "you get what you pay for" is very accurate for flashlights.

____Not Important (A "night-stand" light).
____Slightly Important (Walks around the neighborhood).
____Very Important (Camping, Backpacking, Car Glove-box).
__X__Critical (Police, Fire, Search & Rescue, Caving, Survival).
____I don't know.


12) Switch Size, Type, and location (choose all that apply):

____Any size switch will do.
____I need a BIG switch (I'll be using gloves or have very large hands or coordination issues).
____I want a forward clicky (Helpful for momentary activation and signaling).
____I want a reverse clicky (For use with multi-mode/level lights).
____I want a momentary switch (Predominantly for use with signaling and short bursts of momentary light only).
____I want a twisty switch (Tighten the head/tailcap to activate, and the light will stay on until the head/tailcap is loosened).
____I want a body mounted switch (near the head, like on a Maglite).
____I want a tail mounted switch (found on the majority of today's high end lights).
____I want a remote switch (usually found on high-end bicycle headlights)
__X__I don't care.
____I don't know.
____Other, please specify____________________.


13) User Interface (UI) and mode selection. Select all that apply.

____A simple on-off with only one output level is fine for me.
____I want 2 light levels. (Brighter/short runtime and Dimmer/long runtime.)
____I want multiple light levels. (Some lights have 5-16 light levels.)
____I want a programmable light.
____I want a selector ring.
____I want a strobe mode. (Oscillating pattern to confuse/blind aka "Police Mode")
____I want SOS mode. (blinks in ...---... emergency pattern)
____I want a beacon mode. (Regular flashes at full power to show location.)
____I don't care.
____I don't know.


14)Material/Finish/Coating

____Plastic/composite body (this may limit your choices significantly).
____Anodized Aluminum – either type II or III (Hard Anodized) (Aluminum, specifically HA, is the most common material/finish for today's higher end flashlights).
____Stainless steel (durable, but much heavier than aluminum)
____Titanium (durable and nearly as lightweight as aluminum, but can be moderately to significantly more expensive).
____I don't care.
____I don't know.
____Other, please specify____________.

15) Water resistance
____None needed
____IPX4 (Splash resistant)
____IPX7 (Waterproof to 1 meter/30min)
____IPX8 (Submersible to greater than 1 meter for 4 hours)

16) Storage conditions
____In house (temperature/climate controlled environment)
____Emergency kit (long standby periods)
____Automobile glove-box (wide temperature swings, long standby periods, critical reliability)
____Other_____________________________________________


17) Special Needs/extras: Is there anything else you want or need that hasn't been mentioned? Select any/all below.

__If no Dedicated__Red filter (for preserving night vision).
____Other filter colors (Amber, Green, Blue, _________).
__Hopefully__Dedicated R/G/B secondary LEDs.
____"Hybrid" light (bright incandescent combined with long running LEDs)
____Pocket/belt clip
____Holster
____Wrist/Neck Lanyard
____Crenulated bezel
____Non-sparking, Intrinsically Safe (IS) for use in explosive environments

 

[bigbigjon]

Any thoughts guys?

 

[Lumen83]

Is the area that you cover open fields or above treeline with long line of sight? Or is it generally forested?

 

[xxo]

What is the red light used for?

 

[bigbigjon]

What is the red light used for?

For the red: it will be for trails at night and used at a lower intensity to keep night vision but still have some throw to distinguish landmarks and features.

For the white: Used for general use when doing ground searches. I have the zebra lights in floody and flood but I need something strong that can penetrate into blackberries, down roads and through trees and long distances across fields.

 

[bigbigjon]

Is the area that you cover open fields or above treeline with long line of sight? Or is it generally forested?

Please See the response I did above for the Red, it includes the white.

 

[chillinn]

You'll probably not want to consider this, as stock by the numbers it won't meet your criteria, but it meets a lot of them: the classic Surefire A2 Aviator. The stock incan Surefire MA02 lamp assembly is only 50 lumens, but incan lumens are different than LED and not directly comparable. Lumens Factory has a replacement lamp assembly for A2 that has a higher color temperature than MA02 and is 120 Lumens, also a 4000K LED tower assembly that is dual mode 40 Lumens and 350 Lumens. The large reflector helps A2 throw, primary emitter is regulated, and the dual action momentary twisty tailswitch makes it effortless to activate red LEDs only, or both red LEDs and main emitter (whether incan or LED tower), and won't wear out. A2 run 2xCR123A or 2xRCR123A (LiFePO4) cells. Though some might say it is outdated, it is very advanced, reliable and also more or less bomb proof. I'm not aware of any other flashlight that has such a functional and reliable interface for red and white light, including Surefire's updated A2L and Dual Spectrum Aviator. I don't understand why the dual action switch was never copied for dual spectrum (except in A2L, but because it is from a certain LED era, it's main LED emitter is less efficient and not as bright as a classic A2 with the Lumens Factory LED tower). At the very least, you should consider for a backup.

 

[sween1911]

I'm throwing in my vote for the Streamlight Protac HL 5-X. Takes two 18650's, 3500 lumens on high, built tough. The "ten-tap" programming means you can make it a 3-mode (low-med-hi) light, a high-only, or high-strobe-low.

It has a very bright wide beam. I tested it outdoors at night in a field (during a hay ride in a dark Pennsylvania cornfield) and it brightly illuminated a good 200-300 yard swath. It doesn't have needle-like "throw" but it does give you an excellent cone of visiblity.

I'll also add this detail: The Protac bezel is the same diameter as a D-cell Maglite. The old rubber ring that would fit on D-cell lights fits perfectly. You can get your hands on a Mag red lens and run it under the rubber impact ring. Or if you look around you can find aftermarket bezel filters and covers. Here's a thread I created with some details:

Streamlight Protac HL 5-X Bezel diameter same as Mag

Got a Streamlight Protac HL 5-X for my birthday / Christmas present since I'm in the December Birthday SHAFT club. :) I like Streamlight stuff, for $100 this is a pretty nice solidly build blaster. Recommended it to a friend who took his chaperoning a scouting trip. Amazed all the kids and he...

www.candlepowerforums.com

@chillinn I gotta say, some people might question your suggestion but my A2 (years ago, I since traded it) was my primary camping/hiking light and the incan gave up NOTHING for dark trail walks at night. Fantastic suggestion! We did a night hike, I had my A2 clipped on one side, and my Surefire C2/Malkoff M60 clipped to the other side and I ran them head to head spotting objects on the trail and in the trees and the A2's color rendition at distance ("is that a bush or a porcupine?") was superior.

 

[chillinn]

@chillinn I gotta say, some people might question your suggestion but I've used my A2 (years ago, I since traded it) as my camping/hiking light and the incan gave up NOTHING for dark trail walks at night. Fantastic suggestion! We did a night hike, I had my A2 clipped on one side, and my Surefire C2/Malkoff M60 clipped to the other side and I ran them head to head spotting objects on the trail and in the trees and the A2's color rendition at distance ("is that a bush or a porcupine?") was superior.

As far as dual spectrum goes, I don't know of anything superior that has been developed since. It's all about the interface. Regarding brightness, it is in the eye of the beholder. If careful to protect dark adapted vision, 50 - 120 Lumens is absolutely plenty for walking tree lined trails in woods, because anything brighter, you are blinding yourself with light bouncing back off the trees. I only recently discovered this. But in a situation with street lamps ambient light and car and truck headlights going by, especially just after sundown when still walking around with daylight eyes, it is very difficult to impossible to have or preserve dark adapted vision, and only heavy lumens will do. But after a few hours in the dark of night, with anything within a 30' - 200' range, 50 - 120 lumens may be all that is needed for personal lighting. But if the need is to light up an entire scene for everyone around, then, again, only massive floody lumens can satisfy. You just won't find that with dual spectrum and will need a second light, not a backup, but a second light that is red, which isn't the end of the world. FWIW, and because I am unaware of any other than cheesy red lights marketed for coyote hunters, I would pick a decent multi mode LED light (say a sturdy 14500 ready Lumintop Cu Tool AA), and have Vinh swap in a 630nm red power LED. Interesting thing about red light is that even a lot of it will preserve dark adapted vision.

 

[bigbigjon]

You'll probably not want to consider this, as stock by the numbers it won't meet your criteria, but it meets a lot of them: the classic Surefire A2 Aviator. The stock incan Surefire MA02 lamp assembly is only 50 lumens, but incan lumens are different than LED and not directly comparable. Lumens Factory has a replacement lamp assembly for A2 that has a higher color temperature than MA02 and is 120 Lumens, also a 4000K LED tower assembly that is dual mode 40 Lumens and 350 Lumens. The large reflector helps A2 throw, primary emitter is regulated, and the dual action momentary twisty tailswitch makes it effortless to activate red LEDs only, or both red LEDs and main emitter (whether incan or LED tower), and won't wear out. A2 run 2xCR123A or 2xRCR123A (LiFePO4) cells. Though some might say it is outdated, it is very advanced, reliable and also more or less bomb proof. I'm not aware of any other flashlight that has such a functional and reliable interface for red and white light, including Surefire's updated A2L and Dual Spectrum Aviator. I don't understand why the dual action switch was never copied for dual spectrum (except in A2L, but because it is from a certain LED era, it's main LED emitter is less efficient and not as bright as a classic A2 with the Lumens Factory LED tower).

Looks interesting, I'll check it out. I am not sure about going with another battery. I can charge LiFePo4 but not sure I want to carry an extra type with me.

As mentioned above I would love to not have to use heavy lumens with my night adapted vision but with multiple other searchers it won't be possible to keep that intact. Especially on evidence searches.

 

[Lumen83]

Please See the response I did above for the Red, it includes the white.

My suggestion would be to disregard the requirement to have a red LED on the hand held search light. You should have a head lamp that is more floody to light up your own path while carrying the litter, and having the red option on the head lamp isn't a bad idea. But it's not the most important thing. I like red for sneaking and white for searching. You're not going to be worried about preserving your night adapted vision as much on a search team because you all have really bright lights which is superior to night adapted vision. So focus on a hand held which has multiple levels of brightness to Accommodate everything from searching open areas to thicker woods. And pair it up with a floody head lamp for navigating your way around obstacles while on the litter. But all in all, a red LED on the hand held is not going to be useful, in my experience, for this application.

 

[bigbigjon]

My suggestion would be to disregard the requirement to have a red LED on the hand held search light. You should have a head lamp that is more floody to light up your own path while carrying the litter, and having the red option on the head lamp isn't a bad idea. But it's not the most important thing. I like red for sneaking and white for searching. You're not going to be worried about preserving your night adapted vision as much on a search team because you all have really bright lights which is superior to night adapted vision. So focus on a hand held which has multiple levels of brightness to Accommodate everything from searching open areas to thicker woods. And pair it up with a floody head lamp for navigating your way around obstacles while on the litter. But all in all, a red LED on the hand held is not going to be useful, in my experience, for this application.

I mostly agree with you but I have not found a headlamp that puts out the white light I want on my floody headlamp with Red as well. I carry that small red zebra for it. I have just gotten sh*t from other(mostly a particularly important) team members when I have used my really bright lights around them. In particular my large zebra I have attached to my helmet that is white. With that I can't aim it down. Ideally would be a great handheld that I can have a quick release on my helmet rails. My Zebra is not so it just sits there.

 

[Lumen83]

I mostly agree with you but I have not found a headlamp that puts out the white light I want on my floody headlamp with Red as well. I carry that small red zebra for it. I have just gotten sh*t from other(mostly a particularly important) team members when I have used my really bright lights around them. In particular my large zebra I have attached to my helmet that is white. With that I can't aim it down. Ideally would be a great handheld that I can have a quick release on my helmet rails. My Zebra is not so it just sits there.

I haven't found a headlamp that does both the way I really want it to, either. The problem with bright headlights is that when you go to talk to someone you look at them and blast them or the patient in the face. That is not idea. I find that a floody neutral CRI headlamp like the olight H1N is the best compromise. The problem with the red LED is that you lose color rendition. Color rendition is extremely important to navigating terrain in a stressful situation while being off balance, carrying a heavy load, in dangerous weather conditions, etc. the last thing you want to do is misstep, and fall and hurt yourself. Don't compete with the patient for care.

You could also keep a red LED on your helmet that won't bother others when looking at them/talking to them. And clip something floody on your hip belt to light up what is in front of your feet.

 

[bigbigjon]

I haven't found a headlamp that does both the way I really want it to, either. The problem with bright headlights is that when you go to talk to someone you look at them and blast them or the patient in the face. That is not idea. I find that a floody neutral CRI headlamp like the olight H1N is the best compromise. The problem with the red LED is that you lose color rendition. Color rendition is extremely important to navigating terrain in a stressful situation while being off balance, carrying a heavy load, in dangerous weather conditions, etc. the last thing you want to do is misstep, and fall and hurt yourself. Don't compete with the patient for care.

You could also keep a red LED on your helmet that won't bother others when looking at them/talking to them. And clip something floody on your hip belt to light up what is in front of your feet.

That's one thing about the Zebra Lights I have they is the CRI is pretty high and I love them for that. I do have an option to put my high power Zebra Light on rails and the floody in the front of the helmet.

 

[chillinn]

I came across something that might interest you @bigbigjon

Pelican 7600.
I can not find a flashlight forum quality review. But there are a couple threads here concerning it,
one, two, three.

Best price one, two,

quick video review

What interests me is that it is by all accounts a quality host, it has a couple battery configurations (18650 & 2x CR123A), has a forward clicky tactical switch, and it has a red mode.

What I don't like about it is the LED is probably cool white and something like 80+ CRI, but I'm guessing. Though it is likely Vinh can probably swap out the LED for HiCRI, this will lower its brightness, which he can probably bump brighter but with shorter runtime. I don't like the crenellations, they really have little purpose except in the event of total war. Despicably, Pelican designed the main battery configuration, an 18650 Li-ion, around their own proprietary cell that (I'm not positive, but it's the only reason manufacturers do this) is probably like ten times more expensive than a conventional standard 18650 cell, and this in order to fleece their customers. I wouldn't really care about the built-in charging feature, as a cheap Li-ion charger is probably superior, except that the proprietary cell won't charge in a standard charger, and a standard 18650, that I don't know will work in the light, definitely can't be charged in it.

7600 has some nice qualities, it's powerful and well-built, uses a forward clicky, plus has neat red and also green LED modes in an acceptable interface. But not for the problems, specifically the crenellations and the proprietary cell, I'd probably want one myself. But maybe these aren't deal-breakers for you. There are so few multi-spectrum flashlights with red and white, and even fewer with an interface that isn't, well, bad and/or stupid.

 

[hsa]

I have used this light extensively for over 4 years. If you hold this thing in your hand and then go outside to use it you will be impressed.
One of my kids is an airline pilot and wanted a flashlight that had aviation in the name. I told him if he would accept it I would buy the 7600 for his birthday. He accepted. Now when he uses it for pre flight he says the other pilot always tells him "hey, let me see that thing".
If you are so inclined you can charge the battery on a Fenix ARE-d1 but you have to learn how to square dance and hold your mouth just right.
Cheers

 

[chillinn]

Just for completeness, there is one other light that I can't recommend due to price, but if money is no object, you may want to consider because it should allegedly have the feature of being somewhere between durable and bombproof.

I like that it uses a forward clicky. I like that it doesn't have crenellations, and is also lego-able, which I'll explain after.

Also, it has 350Lm hi and 5Lm low cool white,
and 40Lm hi and 5Lm low red,

or you may even want to consider amber that it also comes in, as on low, amber will also preserve dark adapted vision, but on high probably not as much as red on high, but the benefit of amber is that it is pretty much universally recognized as a color that means "caution," which arguably you could manually strobe by half pressing and releasing the tailswitch, oscillating back and forth between hi and lo, or even leave it on hi and use your hand to block output intermittently.

Anyway, without further eloquence, I am referring to the newer version of the Surefire Aviator, not the A2, the
Surefire Aviator Dual-Output Multi-Spectrum LED
flashlight.

I have not used it, or seen it up close, but I've read about it extensively here on CPF, and honestly I'm a little torn up about the interface to switch the spectrum from white to color and back, which on the most recent revision requires pulling the head and twisting it. I don't know what Surefire was thinking with this interface. It takes two hands and it isn't intuitive, but maybe it prevents accidentally switching the spectrum. The interface on the immediately previous revision was simply twisting the head. Maybe there was an issue with the head twisting off, I'm not really sure.

You can search "Aviator Dual Spectrum" on youtube and find a slew of reviews, and they're all just awful or I would have linked to one. To be sure, the reviews of the light are generally great, as no one spends $300 on a flashlight and then admits they made a mistake. They always insist it is one of their most carried EDC, because it would really be a waste to spend that much and let it sit around unused.

This is a CR123A primary cell light only. I believe 3.6V/3.7V Li-ion secondaries will fry the driver. That said, there are rechargeable options. Very recently a CPF member revealed these Keeppower P1634U1 16340 3V 1.5A 860mAh that have a special protection circuit to limit output to 3V. Presumably, these may work, though the 1.5A max continuous discharge current concerns me. I don't know what the Aviator DS draws on high at 350Lm. Someone else at CPF may know.

But what I would try to do if I owned this light, and honestly I wish I did, though that desire might change if I spent $300 on it and ended up not liking it... anyway, what I would try to do, because the threads are E Series compatible, is get a matching Surefire designer imposter HAIII Black E2 Classic 18650 body and a matching Surefire designer imposter HAIII Black z52 tailcap with McClicky switch (usually I prefer the twisty, but with this interface it could be problematic, heck, I'd get both), all from Lumens Factory, and try to find the highest capacity and cheapest LFP aka IFR18650 3.2V (LiFePO4) cell, and get like 60 of them, and begin to use them only when they are very well rested for a week or a month or something ridiculous, and take my chances that they wouldn't fry the driver. Right now that seems to be one of any number of nameless 2000mAh IFR18650 cells from one or more factories in Shenzhen, China.

With that E2 Classic 18650 body, there is no clip. IMO this is a benefit because I hate Surefire clips. They're designed to break away, for when you're sneaking back from behind enemy lines and get it snagged on some narrow stinking wet tunnel you're trying to crawl through to get away from certain death, when you certainly don't want your flashlight clip causing you to fail by holding you back, pinned helplessly to something. I think the Surefire clip is well designed for that. But being as I am hardly ever at war, almost never, well, really never ever, and the clip isn't much good otherwise unless you like tearing up your pockets and scraping skin off your fingers, I'd be happy to go without a clip, and if I couldn't stand that, I'd find a third party snap on C-clamp deep carry pocket clip that is really smooth and soft and yet still works in that it keeps it clipped in my pocket.

If any CPF member Aviator DS owners come across this post, please, for the love of Pete, correct me, especially about running Aviator DS on 3.2V LiFePO4, as it is an awfully expensive mistake to make if it will fry the driver even with only a couple more tenths of volts than the driver is expecting. But I bet it will be fine, after all, Surefire makes their own SFLFP123 "RCR123A" 3.2V 450mAh cells that presumably they may recommend for Aviator DS, and one LiFePO4 cell is as good as the next, unless they're Soshine brand, in which case they're probably inferior with inflated capacity ratings.

Not for nothing, if I ever ordered an Aviator DS, the first thing I would do is ship it off to Vinh to swap the cool white LED with something warmer and HiCRI, probably sw35k, Nichia 219b 3500K if I couldn't think of anything else, and maybe juice the output on high a little. I would also get on my knees and beg Vinh to find an OP reflector that fits and rip out the TIR optic. Some TIR I don't mind, but Surefire TIR have barely any spill, are designed for throw, and OP reflectors also throw but have a usable spill, mixing the utility between throw and flood, so I vastly prefer OP reflectors to Surefire TIR optics. But it's a long shot.

All in all, in total, it would be a very expensive endeavor to get an expensive light to a state where I could barely tolerate it, and there's still the possibility that I wouldn't ever get over the pulling and twisting the head interface just to change the spectrum. And by that time, I might have better spent a little less money on an AA McGizmo Haiku that would eat up all my time entertaining me in admiration of its beauty, though without any red modes, for which I would just use another single purpose red LED light, and still yet another bright floodly LED light since I'd never carry a McGizmo to the scene of an emergency where I might misplace it and never get over that.