Progress on the Flashlight Speech - Please comment

TrevorNasko

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 23, 2001
Messages
1,500
Location
Atlanta, GA>> The Flashlight that was broken shall
This is where i am- I'm not finished. I am having trouble with the emergancy lighting paragraph and as you can see I am in the middle of my section where i give plugs to people. It is my manner of writing to throw everything together and then copy/paste from that to the final edition.
I'm sure you can see how I favor some and don't favor others. I rarely let others see this stage because it is not like me to open my mind and lay it before the public without cleaning it some. Here it is:
Many of you do not understand the need to have a illumination tool or the varied types and uses of them.

Intro

Tell 2 types – incand led
Incand. is when a fillment or coil of metel is heated to a high temp to produce light. Very simple in design.
LEDs or light emiting diodes are more complex. Electricity is used to excite a chemical crystal which as a result makes light. While incand is generaly cheaper and brighter leds are more durable and eficient. There are many variaties and uses for flashlights (or torches as they are called in the UK) . One of them is EDC or Every Day Carry.



1EDC is the base gear carried by an individual . it is carried daily in a certain combo and is known to be reliable and suited for the one who carries it and that person alone. Main edc items tend to be a watch, wallet, knife or knives, and flashlight(s). the most prepared will not carry just one light as there is not a light made that can do everything. A backup is common. And those who use surefires and other 123 lights generally carry a BULL(back up lithium light) or a spares carrier of some type. But I digress, the lowest of the EDC is the keyring light. This is designed to be super small and bright. There are 2 main keyring light manufacturers today, Arc Flashlights and MAG-LITES . Arc makes the arc AAA which is avialable at texastacticalsupply.com and uses an led. Mag utilizes incand and is unlike arc aaa not regulated. The solitair gives a fourth of the runtime and less output. It could be made brighter but mag has its hands full at the moment with sueing small companies for large sums under false pretences. Another type of edc flashlight is one with modest runtime and is really bright and pocketable. These are used to put light where there is none or not enough. The two most popular and best suited for this are the Executive2 (elite) and the Arc LS ( luxean star) . the Arc ls is made by the aforementioned arc flashlight and the E2 is by SUREFIRE(which will be introduced later.) A select few who love to compete with the sun may edc lights over 200 lumans but most don't.
keyring
general
uses



2Tactical use
combat grip
stopping power
target ID
A few specialty lights are used to aid LEOs and the military. These are meant to be used in situations where failure is not an option. A light used in a quote unquote Tactical situation needs to be small and far brighter than its size would lead you to believe. It is also required that the light be waterproof and durable as all get out. Battery life is not as important as output and the battery of choice is the 123 lithium(for its flat runtime and resistance to all cold and heat in addition to its 10 yr. Shelf life). In this field as well as most maglite is quite inadiquate and SureFire is the best. In LE a common neccesity is the weapon light or the combat light. These two are both for the purpose of illuminating the area in front of the weapon. A weapon light is oft mounted on rails below the slide in front of the trigger guard. Some weapon lights incorperate a laser but most don't. Combat lights are essentially flashlights with a grip ring and momentary switch. (show grip style) . During a raid or similar activity the light aids in target identification, stopping power , and point and shoot. The concept of specialized lights for combat and police use was and is pioneered by SureFire. SureFire was first in using the momentary tail switch that has become so widely used and popular. This switch is handy to have and has saved many a life. Signaling is only one of the uses of this part. The most important use occurs in a combat situation. If an officer is shot or otherwise eliminated the light will not stay on to illuminate the rest of the team. This is crucial when the team is using the superior output to dazzle the enemy. While runtime is not as important in tactics that are over in 12 minutes, it is for border patrol, security guards, and the standerd officer. These turn to lights with longer runtimes , rechargablity , or both. Once again surefire is at the top providing the user with a variaty of rechargables and upgrades. Streamlite makes a few really nice rechargables to that are very compact and bright. Not as good a SureFire mind you but then – they cost less. It is worth noting that the term "tactical" has since 9/11 become an avertising term and not all lights that are touted as "tactical" really are.




3Emergancy use

no power

wilderness attention getter (laser ,marine )

just as the law enforcment and military have need of portable ilumination tools so do the ERT, Coast Guard and other rescue personel. While the fire department favors the streamlights for their long life and tight beams(smoke cutter) the search and rescue teams favor SureFire , Streamlight, and Eternalight.

Many flashlights are used for emergancies such as flood, hurricane tornado ,etc. that cause an extended power outage. Most often these lights are led lights and use common batteries ( note: common batteries are the type you have most of not most available in stores although in many cases these two are the same. Example : my common batterys are CR123a Photolithiums. Most places don't carry this type and when they do they charge over $5- that scarcety aside, I have over 125 of them and therefore most of my emergancy lights take them. In an outage batteries are the first to go in stores and you will not have a chance to buy them so make sure your emergancy light uses the batteries that you have the most of.) . Many lights on the market today are purchased for their cheapness and then put in a drawer for "emergancies" . (example : 1.99 2d cell and mag.) these will do you no good when you need them and to thing that they will is a dangerouse folly. If you have taken this path and rely on a sub $2 piece of garbage it is not too late. Technology Associates sells the Versalux PR base drop in replacment bulb which is very robust and lasts days on end on one set of batterys. They also sell the eternalite which is the epitime of emergancy flashlights. (tell techass web addy) As you may have all ready geussed runtime is the main virtue of an emergancy light. Eficiancy is required when you don't know when the next chance to stock up is. As well as being helpful in a power outage , flashlights are a vital aid if you are lost in the outdoors. There is nothing I would rather have if lost in the willderness than two certain flashlights. One, the ArcAAA turquios or white, for its long life and high output. This little light would illiminate the night for me and prevent a turned ankle or worse(which is a really a fear when a medic is not an option) as well as act as a beacon to searchers. The other light which would be extremily helpful is my focusable green laser. I class the laser as an emergancy light because of how well it would signal to anyone in the sky or in some in some instances on the ground. If immoblized this device could very easily save your life. My only issue with the one I have is that it isn't waterproof .


Althought I have only barely informed you about lights and the uses we have for them there are a number of sites that deal with this subject. CandlePowerForums.com is the main site to visit to gain knowledge of anything light related. I myself have been a member there for a few years and go by the name "Aragorn" .
For specific reviews TheLightSite and TheLedMuseum
 

Monsters_Inc

Banned
Joined
Oct 8, 2002
Messages
654
Location
Monstropolis
"Torches" are used in Asia and Australia/Oceanic region too. In fact outside of the US, I don't know if any other country calls it a flashlight.

Incan bulbs: the metal wire/fillament is a resistor that heats up so substantially when a current is passed thru them that they glow. This glowing is what's used as light, and hence they are very inefficient.

I'm not sure of your intended aurdience, but try not to introduce the concept of regulation (Arc AAA keychain) while you're still dealing with the differences of LED vs incan (Arc vs Mag-Sol).

Tactical: batt life is "sacrificed" as the small size and blinding output is the priority.

That's my 2 cents. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
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