Blinky modes - Have you ever needed them?

[Capolini]

I would have jumped too but why turn off light? BTW, buy a little blinky light for dog collar! It could save his life.

lol! I did not turn it OFF on purpose! I forgot to put "accidentally". It was a result of ALL the steps to activate strobe!

Yes.when I do my solo dirt road walk I put his blinky collar on! In fact I bought one after this incident! I should have mentioned that.

 

[geokite]

I "need" blinky mode everytime I ride my bike to work to stay alive. In the daytime. 1100 lumens from a SC600Mk2L2 gets me seen. Been hit once when I just blended into the background for a car turning left (into me...). Now florescent yellow shirt, 1100 flashing lumens off the front, 100 lumens of flashing red (H502r) off the back, everytime.

Steve

 

[hotlight]

didn't "need" it but:

beacon to find my backcountry campsite at night (ie going a good distance away to #2)..it's scary not being able to find your campsite when all you have is flashlight, trowel/stake and TP on your person.

strobe to signal someone while picking them up or getting picked up at airport...this does actually help but then you have everyone staring at you.

when night riding on my dual sport I had a fast red LED beacon on my back(was more of a dedicated bicycle light tho)


blinky modes not needed but can be useful... agree they should be hidden for EDC use.

 

[Vortus]

Used them when had them.

Often for whatever reason people are not paying 100% attention while driving. First or among the first on scene of an accident. Used to get oncoming traffics attention that something going on. When on the shoulder of the road, especially on small shoulders, to get people's attention and get them to move over.

Covered with orange/purple colored filters, lit house and pumpkins for Halloween.

 

[Taz80]

I've used strobe while walking the dog on the side of the road to keep from being hit. Distracted drivers don't always notice 700 some odd lumens pointed in their general direction. I've also used the, wave the light back and forth method, strobe is more effective.

 

[eh4]

If I had car trouble at night, and the hazard lights didn't work, and I had a second light to keep on hand, I'd consider a blinky light in the back window to be useful.
Other than that a powerful defensive strobe could be useful if it could be accessed immediately.
Really extreme case, a beacon mode or SOS that would run for days could be useful if last and dying, or to mark the location of a friend while you wandered off to find help.
But Mostly No.
"Tactical" strobe is pointless unless it's immediately available and the user has trained/rehearsed how they'd utilize it, and likewise the other blink modes are pretty much pointless for the main option line, they should all be hidden until deliberately twisted/clicked for, unless you put a high value on the rare cases of wanting someone unfamiliar with the light to accidentally stumble upon the blinky mode needed in some emergency scenario. -pretty out there.

 

[eh4]

If I had car trouble at night, and the hazard lights didn't work, and I had a second light to keep on hand, I'd consider a blinky light in the back window to be useful.
Other than that a powerful defensive strobe could be useful if it could be accessed immediately.
Really extreme case, a beacon mode or SOS that would run for days could be useful if lost and dying, or to mark the location of a friend while you wandered off to find help.
But Mostly No.
"Tactical" strobe is pointless unless it's immediately available and the user has trained/rehearsed how they'd utilize it, and likewise the other blink modes are pretty much pointless for the main option line, they should all be hidden until deliberately twisted/clicked for, unless you put a high value on the rare cases of wanting someone unfamiliar with the light to accidentally stumble upon the blinky mode needed in some emergency scenario. -pretty out there.

 

[Q619]

Most useful thing I've done with mine was crossing the freeway at 1am.

 

[chuckhov]

"Most useful thing I've done with mine was crossing the freeway at 1am."


That's It!

Never liking Strobe, you've made me a convert.

Put me down for a dozen

Or - I think that maybe I could just try to avoid such situations?

Yeah. - I'm just gonna sit on my butt here with my computer and be safe

For real - They (strobe modes) really don't bother me, *if* they are well hidden.

Some lights (the switchable 3 mode/5 mode budget ones, not so much:-(

Thanks,
-Chuck

 

[D6859]

Does the voltage meter in Tiara and Wizard count? Then yes. Or are we talking about only the useless blinky modes? Then (by definition) no.

 

[MrJino]

Yes, the reason in kind of funny...my mom has very poor hearing so I flash strobe in the window to get her attention.

That's good, i may need to try this lol

 

[Doheny]

I've used it a lot. Before I retired as a fireman, I would use the strobe mode to show incoming units my location. The strobe is easier to differentiate that just waving a light or flashing it quickly.

 

[Lord Flashlight]

I've used it a lot. Before I retired as a fireman, I would use the strobe mode to show incoming units my location. The strobe is easier to differentiate that just waving a light or flashing it quickly.

Exactly. Here endeth the lesson folks.

 

[markr6]

People always talke about the "disabling", "nauseating" and "disorientating" effetcs of strobe modes. Not really something I would want to use to notify other drivers on the highway when I break down, or to get attention of someone driving towards me. Maybe with a diffuser?

 

[masterP]

moonlight mode and blinky modes are useless to me. as well as different color LED's

 

[Taz80]

When using a strobe to disorient an attacker one would think you would be in fairly close range and pointing the hot spot directly in the eyes. When warning traffic of your presence on the side of the road you wouldn't normally shine the light directly at oncoming cars. Unless they are about to hit you.

 

[thedoc007]

When using a strobe to disorient an attacker one would think you would be in fairly close range and pointing the hot spot directly in the eyes. When warning traffic of your presence on the side of the road you wouldn't normally shine the light directly at oncoming cars. Unless they are about to hit you.

I would say that you should avoid pointing it directly at them even if they are about to hit you...unless you know they are doing it intentionally. Blinding a driver doesn't help in any normal circumstances.

 

[ronniepudding]

I've never used them. The only times I could see a blinky mode being useful in my modern day-to-day life is:
1) If my car dies and I want to warn oncoming cars... in which case a beacon or SOS mode would be useful, but a strobe is a bad idea (as pointed out above). As this scenario is not outside of the realm of possibility, I keep a Xeno E03 with diffuser cone in my car for this purpose.
2) When recreating in the wilderness (camping, kayaking, hiking, etc.), it might come in handy to have an SOS/beacon mode to signal to rescuers if I get into trouble.
3) I work in the city, and am sometimes entering a parking garage at late hours when I head home. On those occasions, I keep a 2*AA light set to strobe mode handy in the outside (unzippered) pocket of my laptop bag. I don't know that I'd have the b*lls to try to use it if accosted, etc., but at least it's an option as a last resort when there's no other alternative :\

Since I'm risk-averse in general, I have thus far successfully avoided the need to actually use a blinky mode in real life; by properly maintaining my car, being cautious and prepared when in the wilderness, and being alert in crime-ridden areas, I hope to keep it that way. I don't mind having SOS/Beacon hidden but available as insurance for scenario #1 and #2. However, without training on how to properly handle scenario #3, I'd think it might do more harm than good to whip out a gun-looking item like a 2*AA flashlight with the intent to strobe someone who's threatening me... it'd probably be safer to just hand over my wallet, or run.

 

[KeepingItLight]

YES!

Anyway, back to my only road walk. It is on a dirt road—hilly, curvy, dark, and not too many cars—but there are some! As soon as I see/hear a car, I activate strobe, and point it to the ground for a few seconds.

Believe me, it works... I am convinced it has saved me from injury or worse. People are going to notice an intermittent/flashing light much better than a beam of light sometimes mistaken as a motorcycle or a car with one head light!

+1

I did this just last night. There is a gentle up-hill road near my home that I like to walk up after dark. It is a narrow, unstriped road that has no sidewalks. During the daytime, there is much more traffic, so it is actually safer to take this walk after dark. At 11 p.m. last night, only four cars drove past during my two-mile walk.

For the most part, my flashlight is off, but when I hear a car approaching, I aim my flashlight at the ground, and give a short blast of the strobe. Afterwards, I put my light on a medium mode while the car passes.

 

[LedTed]

I had to use the strobe on my NC D11.2 a few times.

The last time was when I had to quickly stop my car to avoid hitting wildlife landing in the road. The person in the car directly behind me stopped, did not access the situation and lurched headlong across the double yellow line. I used strobe to get that other driver to stop again, but this time pay attention.