Dave D
Flashlight Enthusiast
WARNINGThis thread won't get your heart racing!!
I joined the Police in 1983 and in those day the only thing you got issued with, besides your uniform, was a pocket book and a wooden truncheon.
My first night on foot patrol I was advised that I could book out one of the station flashlights, an Eveready 2 x D Cell Rubber Torch.
Not what you would call High Tech! The one's that we used were black but I couldn't fine a photograph of one, so You'll have to make do with the red version.
Of course the car driver's got the car allocated flashlight, we called them a Bardic, which had a filter which could be turned across the bulb to give either white, red, green or amber light. The light output however was not a lot better than the rubber Eveready!
The example above has Telecom on it so it wasn't just the Police that used them. I think they were made to attach to train wagons.
In the late eighties we all got issued with Maglite D cell torches, and at the time we thought they were the bees knees!
The cars also got an upgrade with Handheld 12v Halogen lamps that plugged into a portable 12v battery.
Then around the turn of the century the powers that be decided that we should all be issued with Mini Maglites instead of the D cell Maglites. Needless to say they weren't ideal, and they are still being issued today.
But the cars were being equipped with a far better light that is again is still in service today, the British made 'Dragon Light', these lamps tended to be on charge at the Police Station and you would take one out on patrol with you to ensure that the battery was fully charged.
They put out a lot of light but are quiet heavy.
So you could either chase an offender down a dark alley with your issued Mini Maglite or grab the Dragon Light, needless to say most officers chase them dowm the alley without any additional lighting and rely on their night vision! Fortunately in the UK there is little chance of being shot or stabbed and because of that we are issued with bullet and knife resistant vests, which weigh an additional 14lbs, so the chance of catching said offender is slim anyway!!
Fortunately for the past nine years I have been a member of the local Air Support Unit so the offenders have difficulty outrunning a Eurocopter EC135, when I want to light then up I use the 30 million candle power Nitesun fitted to the aircraft.
Now that's what I call a flashlight!!!
Stay safe out there.
I joined the Police in 1983 and in those day the only thing you got issued with, besides your uniform, was a pocket book and a wooden truncheon.
My first night on foot patrol I was advised that I could book out one of the station flashlights, an Eveready 2 x D Cell Rubber Torch.
Not what you would call High Tech! The one's that we used were black but I couldn't fine a photograph of one, so You'll have to make do with the red version.
Of course the car driver's got the car allocated flashlight, we called them a Bardic, which had a filter which could be turned across the bulb to give either white, red, green or amber light. The light output however was not a lot better than the rubber Eveready!
The example above has Telecom on it so it wasn't just the Police that used them. I think they were made to attach to train wagons.
In the late eighties we all got issued with Maglite D cell torches, and at the time we thought they were the bees knees!
The cars also got an upgrade with Handheld 12v Halogen lamps that plugged into a portable 12v battery.
Then around the turn of the century the powers that be decided that we should all be issued with Mini Maglites instead of the D cell Maglites. Needless to say they weren't ideal, and they are still being issued today.
But the cars were being equipped with a far better light that is again is still in service today, the British made 'Dragon Light', these lamps tended to be on charge at the Police Station and you would take one out on patrol with you to ensure that the battery was fully charged.
They put out a lot of light but are quiet heavy.
So you could either chase an offender down a dark alley with your issued Mini Maglite or grab the Dragon Light, needless to say most officers chase them dowm the alley without any additional lighting and rely on their night vision! Fortunately in the UK there is little chance of being shot or stabbed and because of that we are issued with bullet and knife resistant vests, which weigh an additional 14lbs, so the chance of catching said offender is slim anyway!!
Fortunately for the past nine years I have been a member of the local Air Support Unit so the offenders have difficulty outrunning a Eurocopter EC135, when I want to light then up I use the 30 million candle power Nitesun fitted to the aircraft.
Now that's what I call a flashlight!!!
Stay safe out there.
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