How do Peak flashlights stack up

I've been exploring purchasing one of these lights (Looking more towards the Pyrenees and some of the Search and Rescue lights) I don't see too much on the forums about some of their bigger throwers and was curious how they stack up to other lights in their class. (Using the SR800A as an example to something like a Catapult) Does anyone own some of these big guns? A bit pricy, but I like that they are made in the US and they just look very serious! Anyone on here a peak fanatic? THanks!

Plenty of PEAK fanatics on this site but I think most folks own their pocket lights as you mentioned. As for why there aren't more people with the search and rescue series lights, I can only gue$$.

Have a look in the Peak sub-forum. You may want to ask a mod to move this thread there.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?64-Peak-LED-Solutions

To answer your primary question: They stack up great. Fantastic build quality, made in USA, potted electronics [great for durability, less great for people who want to mod them]. To me what keeps them from receiving more praise here is:
- Non user-friendly web site
- No clicky switches on the smaller lights.
- Lack of multi-levels on the smaller lights. This has recently been partly remedied
by the introduction of QTC [Quantum Tunnelling Circuit ] chips that give
continously variable output.

I have a few Peak lights, including the FR600A. I like them all very much. There is something about them that makes them better than their statistics would indicate. The FR600A is really fantastic.

LED_Thrift, you say there are no clicky switches for the smaller models but can't any of the lights that come with a key chain post use the switch that they advertise? Or are you saying that the switch is pure momentary and doesn't "click" for constant on? I've been thinking about doing a switch on an Eiger or a Logan but I'm definitely going to want the QTC version so I'm not sure how that would be handled.

thanks for the heads up EDC3, Ill check that all out. LED Thrift, How does the FR600A compare to other throwers you might have? Pending you have others of course! They appear to be pretty awesome, but I just never see any beamshot comparisons to other lights so its tough to compare.

LED_Thrift said:

To me what keeps them from receiving more praise here is:
- Non user-friendly web site

Click to expand...

I must say that the RMSK site is getting better, You can tell Bob is making the effort to improve. It has come a long way over the past 12-18 months.

bmcgators98 said:

I must say that the RMSK site is getting better, You can tell Bob is making the effort to improve. It has come a long way over the past 12-18 months.

Click to expand...

Yeah, slightly. But it is still terrible, they don't ship internationally, and they still insists on complicated options, most of which are not listed and require far too much enquiry from the buyer.

There are lots of threads about confused would be buyers.

How hard is it to get a website running to sell your product? Screams amateur to me.

GeoBruin, the Peak momentary switch does NOT latch on. Also, it seems that in order to work correctly with the new QTC models it needs some type of modification. This can be done to older Peak momentary switches, but evidently Curt is working on getting some modified momentary switches to Bob at RMSK.

I've heard that Curt is working night and day to keep up with the demand for these new QTC lights, but it will still take some time before all the different body styles and material combinations are available with the new QTC pill.

By the way, Bob is often available on the RMSK site for answering questions. Just look for the "Live Support" button at the top of the page, and if it says "On-line", that means Bob is in.

uknewbie said:

Yeah, slightly. But it is still terrible, they don't ship internationally, and they still insists on complicated options, most of which are not listed and require far too much enquiry from the buyer.

There are lots of threads about confused would be buyers.

How hard is it to get a website running to sell your product? Screams amateur to me.

Click to expand...

Yeah, but a few months ago you were not sure if you were buying a flashlight or a condo. Bummer about international shipping

I have had only good experience with RMSK.

I really like thier lights. I have a SS Logan with QTC on the way. I really appreciate the simplistic approach, very few parts to break or things to go wrong.

Derek Dean said:

GeoBruin, the Peak momentary switch does NOT latch on. Also, it seems that in order to work correctly with the new QTC models it needs some type of modification. This can be done to older Peak momentary switches, but evidently Curt is working on getting some modified momentary switches to Bob at RMSK.

I've heard that Curt is working night and day to keep up with the demand for these new QTC lights, but it will still take some time before all the different body styles and material combinations are available with the new QTC pill.

By the way, Bob is often available on the RMSK site for answering questions. Just look for the "Live Support" button at the top of the page, and if it says "On-line", that means Bob is in.

Click to expand...

Very useful information. Thank you. I'm still a bit confused about the switch however. If you can buy a momentary switch separately, doesn't that imply that you can add it to an existing light? I thought you had to unscrew the post for the lanyard hole and you could screw in the momentary switch.

The tail switch for the small pocket lights is momentary only. It was
designed to replace the removable key ring adapter as an option. With
the new QTC the same switch can be used by removing the battery contact
and contact spring and then spacing the switch out by using a flat washer
between the body and the switch. New switches will not require the use
of washers. The momentary switch is available in Brass or Stainless Steel.
All Peak lights are potted with epoxy in the electronics compartment, as a
result they are water proof and shock proof.

As for the LEO line, the tail switch is by Judco made in California. It is both
momentary and constant on/off and is protected by a removable cover. All
LEOs can have a constantly variable output from off to max and the choice
of four different battery compartments and nine different heads, all interchangable.

All Peak lights are made to exceed the requirements of military field duty
requirements. They are the only professional lights made in the US and are
not designed for normal consumer applications. They will get hot and are
not recommended for children.

Curt

Curt R said:

They are the only professional lights made in the US and are
not designed for normal consumer applications. They will get hot and are
not recommended for children.

Curt

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So do you not want people to buy your product or what?

You are on here, have a website selling and a distributor website selling, both (badly) direct to the public, and you are saying these are not for the "normal" consumer.

You must have plenty of money to be able to run a business with such little regard for making sales.

You might try Oveready for Peak lights. I think they will ship internationally.

uknewbie why should Peak's website be more friendly toward the public when Curt has already stated that their lights are for processional use?

As far as being on CPF, members here are far better educated (in matters relating to flashlights) than the general public. Peak have been part of this community since the early days of LEDs, when the general membership were far more hands on than they are today.

Surely it's up to Peak to determine their target market and direct their marketing accordingly.

Norm

Moved to The Peak Sub Forum.

jssp78 said:

You might try Oveready for Peak lights. I think they will ship internationally.

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Thanks, that site looks better, just currently OOS on the couple of peaks they carry.

Lots more models on the peakledsolutions site, & they do look great- but does anyone know which among their single AA models have that perfectly flat tailcap I see pictured on oveready? I know they're head twist anyway (but not tighten for off right?), and can take an energizer lithium? I doubt "cp" can even be directly translated into lumens (just for curiosity, comparison purposes)?

leon2245 said:

Does anyone know which among their single AA models have that perfectly flat tailcap I see pictured on oveready?

Click to expand...

Order any AA light with a pocket body, that's the body with the flat tail.



Peak Pacific AA & CR2 pocket bodies.

Norm

Norm said:

uknewbie why should Peak's website be more friendly toward the public when Curt has already stated that their lights are for processional use?

As far as being on CPF, members here are far better educated (in matters relating to flashlights) than the general public. Peak have been part of this community since the early days of LEDs, when the general membership were far more hands on than they are today.

Surely it's up to Peak to determine their target market and direct their marketing accordingly.

Norm

Moved to The Peak Sub Forum.

Click to expand...

No reason it "should", but if you do not intend to sell to the public direct then why have a website attempting to do just that?

I don't think they want to sell to "professional" users only, I think they are just making a bad attempt at selling to the public.

This view seems to be common as threads like this about Peak keep appearing.

Maybe I misunderstood, but I it doesn't appear to me that Curt is saying he doesn't want to sell lights to the public, but rather, his lights are designed to be bought and used by those folks who understand the nature high power lights, namely, that they will get hot with extended use at high power, and therefore should be kept out of the hands of children, and those adults who may not understand how to safely use them.

At a time when large companies are gobbling each other up right and left, and dumbing down their products so as to reach the largest market segment possible, it's refreshing to see a small company like Peak going their own way, creating high quality lights for those folks who are capable of appreciating them.

I'll admit, I'm finding it a challenge to select the proper Peak light. The numerous options and lack of comparative beam shots of how the different lights and optics relate to each other makes choosing the correct light an interesting journey, but one I'm willing to undertake, because I like what I've seen of Curt's work so far and hope to own one of his beautiful lights in the near future.

I should have mentioned in my post above that I can understand a reason for their website being a bit difficult to navigate. The beauty of Peak's business is that you really are not locked into a mere five or ten specific models, there are probably several hundred combinations of brightness, beam shape, battery configuration, body materials and body styles. Come to think of it those parameters multiplied by each other probably comes out to thousands of combinations. It is not easy to put all those possible combinations into an easy to navigate website. What they lack web-site wise they make up for in great to talk to, down to earth, professional service.