Flashlights & security officers

[rala]

I would use the the 3xAA m@g LED as a backup to my primary and secondary, but definately not as a primary. I for one would prefer to light up the shadow I just saw move from afar than to have to get close to use my light.

As for lithium powered lights, I would use those as backups too as I don't intend on having to using them and the long shelf life of lithiums adds some insurance that it will work when I finally do need it. But I definately prefer both my primary and secondary to use the same type of rechargeable cells, as I would use those 99% of the time. Oh and I do carry two extra set of 18650's on my person for the times I do need more runtime.

 

[Juggernaut]

How many lumes does it take to temporarily disorientate/blind someone?

Exactly 4005.76 lumens out front of the MAXABLASTER. They will never see again:devil:. But seriously unless your toting around something like this^ you really can't depend on a light for self defense, it's really a last resort thing, there are many threads on it here if your willing to look them up, that deal with the subject:candle:.

 

[lightplay22]

Ultra stinger for long throw illumination and (hopefully not) head clucking.
Pair that with a good LED like the Surefire g2led or something similar and you should be good to go.

 

[Juggernaut]

The lights we deal with on here are somewhat off the board compared to what useful light is. :devil:

That's not true, I use the 700+ lumens of light coming out of my EDC-P7 for all sort of things, I can easily see what I'm doing:duck:, and then I turn the light off……after I wait to get my vision back 5 minuets later I can go about my way.!

 

[jusval]

Exactly 4005.76 lumens out front of the MAXABLASTER. They will never see again:devil:. But seriously unless your toting around something like this^ you really can't depend on a light for self defense, it's really a last resort thing, there are many threads on it here if your willing to look them up, that deal with the subject:candle:.

Ok, now I understand, y'all are disturbed, very disturbed..... :thumbsup:

I had to click on that MAXABLASTER link....... That's what I want. Don't blind them, melt their skin off their bones! Maybe I should give up the flashlight thing and go with a flamethrower!!

I don't think I will ever get that radical, I hope...... I took apart the Brinkman :shakehead ..... first sign of madness is taking things apart, second sign of madness is putting them back together with different parts......

Anyhow, it has a 6V, 2.5ah SLA battery with a H3 6V 35W bulb.... I don't think adding an auxilliary 2ah battery is going to do it, since the one now only lasts five minutes. The 35W bulb is eating the power a little too fast I imagine.

I can forsee that I will be looking at the chinese versions of the 500 lumen lights on fleaBay (even though they are probably only 400 lumens)...... They are "affordable" kinda sorta (as low as $26 now) and from what I read, they can work ok, even if you need to do a little "Q.C." modification after you get one.

I will still be loking for something in a 2,3,4 AA or AAA style for a small holster carry.

 

[Hooked on Fenix]

In that price range, how about a 2D or 3D l.e.d. Maglite? They're on sale at Lowes (as well as their website) for $15. The 2AA and 3AA l.e.d. Maglites are on sale for $11. You can get both. The D sized Mag will run all night and gives good throw. The AA versions are better for flood and will make a decent backup.

If you're serious about your job, look into Fenix, Olight, Inova, and Surefire lights. I think Fenix will give you the best bang for your buck, but that's just my opinion. A Fenix E20 is 109 lumens, costs $35, and takes 2AAs. A Fenix L1T or L2T versions 2.0 are also decent options if you want a high and low (high for occassional bumps in the night, low for the rest of the time). Costco has a combo kit with a Leatherman Blast and a rebranded Fenix L1T version 2.0 (called an LGX 200) for $50. The L1T is 98 lumens on high and takes 1AA. A 2C Taskforce light with Cree XR-E is a bright, cheap option from Lowes and costs $25-$30. Make sure the packaging says that it's 60X brighter, or you'll be buying the older, dimmer model. Mejers sells a bright, 3D Rayovac light with a Cree XR-E l.e.d. for about $25.

 

[BurkStar]

I'm in the same boat as you, Security Guard dealing with both inside and outside situations, but have gone into debt tyring to find the best lighting set-up. Look at it this way, armed guards will spend good money on their firearms and accessories and since we're not armed, I feel the same way about our lights. I carry at least three lights on me, none of which are cheap, but there are good cheaper alternatives. My smallest light is an Aleph Mule. This light doesn't have a lot of throw but will just about totally light up a small to medium size room. It runs most effectively on CR123's, but will run for a long time with the type usage I put it through. You can pick up a bare aluminum one for about $150 (I paid $175 for my nickel coated one). Additionally these are a great shirt pocket light. The next larger light I carry is a Mr. Bulk Chameleon. I like the side switch with 5 easily accessed levels. I've got mine set up for AW 18500's. The Chameleons are somewhat pricey, but you can pick up a bare aluminum Lionheart (just as good as a Chameleon) for about $150. Another alternative is an O-Light Warrior. Its good 3 usable levels (up to over 200 lumens) and has a very nice long range high beam. Plus the holster and battery sleeves make it real easy to carry. These go for about $120. The only reason I sold mine is it was redundant with my Chameleon. Then finally I carry a heavy duty, burn their retina's out and beat them over the head till they're dead light. I started out with a Mag conversion with a nasty strike bezel and 3 led's putting out about 400 lumens, using Ni-MH batteries. It was a pretty good light and was affordable (about $160) but I wanted more lumens. I now carry an Elektro Lumens Proto P7 Long Throw. This light is everything I wanted in an aggressive mega lumen light and definitely makes me feel a "bit" more comfortable knowing that I can light someone up from a pretty good distance away and if forced into defending myself with it (strictly as a last resort) have a heavy chunk of aluminum as a defensive "tool." Once again there are much cheaper alternatives with a still wide variety of choices. In your situation, I'd probably go with a Mag conversion with an aggressive strike bezel. Hope this helps...

 

[DCP117]

I'm an armed Security Guard now but I used to be unarmed. I bought the Surefire 9P. Here's something comprable to the 9P. http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.11919

It runs off 3 primaries and you can use rechargeables. It is an LED so it does last for a good 2 hours or more if it's constantly on (which I doubt it will be). I put an R2 drop-in, in my 9P and its great! You'll be able to light someone up at 100 ft. easily, and if they're close, they'll be seeing spots for awhile. And for under $20, you can't go wrong.

 

[jusval]

OK, lots of information here on this thread, lots of choices as well. I have decided at least on the max price I can go for now and that would be $50 shipping included. $50 Total dollars..... Of course I would like to go less, but as we all already know, you get what you pay for. I'm not expecting a premium lifetime warranty flashlight. I am not expecting a name brand flashlight. I just want the most lumens for the bucks..... From seeing countless reviews and countless more photos, I just want the brightest light for the bucks....

That said, I have done some looking. Most of it on fleaBay. I'm not saying fleaBay is the answer, it's just easy to see a whole bunch of flashlights in one place. I am sure I will research more and more (I kind of beat things to death before buying) and I will look for the best price overall. So here are some links if you would like to comment on them as to how good/bad they seem or how outrageous the claims are and if you have owned any of these yourselves.... Please feel free to comment and Thank You.

Fenix P1D CE Q5 $50 bucks free shipping
http://cgi.ebay.com/Fenix-P1D-CE-Q5...286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66:4|65:15|39:1|240:1318


600 lumens? Not........
http://cgi.ebay.com/Solarforce-600L...286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66:4|65:16|39:1|240:1318

The Ultrafire 500 down to $42 & free shipping
http://cgi.ebay.com/Ultrafire-500-L...286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66:4|65:16|39:1|240:1318

Small Sun- 3x AA flashlight bright beam $20 + free shipping From the pictures, it's a very bright light, for personal holster carry...
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.15741

One of my concerns is using Lithium batteries. I don't like them. I had a laptop do a meltdown once and it wasn't pretty.... I think that limits me a lot, unless it's possible to use a different replacement battery pack. I think at least one of the "500 lumen" lights can use something else? But I'm not sure about that.

Anyhow, if you feel like posting your thoughts, thanks in advance.....

 

[Bruce B]

Have you thought about a Surefire G2 incandescent? You can upgrade the bulb which is nice with other Surefire Lamp Assemblies such as the P61 or the P60L. The incandescent G2 is 39.00 on the Surefire.com. http://www.surefire.com/maxexp/main...br=6&prrfnbr=878&sesent=0,0&search_id=1157749

It's a great little light, very versitile and very tough. I've played with this light before and it really is a sturdy light and Surefire have a pretty good warrenty on their illumination tools. Also, I've never had any problems with the Surefire brand CR123 batteries. I hope this makes deciding a little easier for you.

 

[Juggernaut]

Fenix P1D CE Q5 $50 bucks free shipping

You really can't go wrong with the Fenix though.

600 lumens? Not........

More like 375-400 lumens max.

The Ultrafire 500 down to $42 & free shipping

Again these kind of lights are a hit or miss, if may work fine or crap out on you and like you said if you don't rust Li-ion batteries you would definitely not want to use there cheapy chargers.

Small Sun- 3x AA flashlight bright beam $20 + free shipping From the pictures, it's a very bright light, for personal holster carry...

That looks ok but it may not have a good driver and could just use a resister since it's a 3x AA. But I don't know

 

[jusval]

Oh, and just for a reference for what I am looking for, I Do have a Maglite 2D with the LED conversion.

I think it stinks. A very narrow center beam which is blue, not bright at all and a very wide outer band of light that is usless because it's so dim. I had bought the Maglight and conversion when I first started with the guard job and put it back away after the first night. That's when I bought the Brinkman which is Awsome and that's the kind of bright white light I'm looking for, a bright white with a wider center beam, not concentrated like a spot, but broader like a flood.

FYI

 

[Lightguy27]

Might want to take a look at this. Can use one CR123 primary or 2 aa's. Got great reviews and looks to be bright with a nice spot and spill.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.9070

 

[Burgess]

You mean, they don't even issue you a Radio ? ? ?


:help:



Just outta' curiousity, what kinda' problems
have they encountered in the past ?


Stay safe, my friend.
_

 

[copperfox]

Jusval, after reading your requirements, I think your best option is the Ultrafire 500. I can find no other flashlight for that price that comes with a rechargeable solution and puts out that much light. If I didn't have a ROP, I'd buy one myself. The 500 is in a totally different class from the "small sun" 3xAA light you are looking at. The Ultrafire will be about 5x as bright and throw considerably farther. That "small sun" light will be about as bright as your Maglite with LED dropin.

Some people are recommending Surefires, and although they are quality lights, they use non-rechargeable CR123s which will get expensive quick. You simply need a rechargeable solution.

 

[jusval]

You mean, they don't even issue you a Radio ? ? ?


:help:



Just outta' curiousity, what kinda' problems
have they encountered in the past ?


Stay safe, my friend.
_

No we don't use radios. There are two guards, they are at two different ends of the place. If we both are in the shacks, we could call each other, but nothing while making rounds.

Mostly drunks wandering in or teens to 20'ish looking for "money" or whatever excuse to try to pull one over on someone. We have not had physical violence and we may not (911 has been called more than once, but intruders usually leave before police arrive), but you know it only takes 1 time to make it a serious problem. I imagine it would take that for the management to do something....

 

[M@elstrom]

Yes, I read a thread about "False sense of Security" with a flashlight. I believe you are right. I think that's what I'm looking for, because I don't want to ever use Mace or a Baton. I don't like fighting (self defense).

150~200Lm may be sufficient for you to cause an aggressor to 'see spots' depending on ambient lighting and their physical state (and relative pupil dilation), however to echo what has already been stated DON'T RELY on this to stop the confrontation in it's tracks (it wont)... capitalize on this brief tactical advantage to deliver your counter offensive :thumbsup:

Anyhow I will be looking for a good flashlight for lighting up the dark areas. It can't hurt.... I'm really grateful for all the options you all are giving me. It helps to hear from people using this stuff and what you all have to say..... I probably will carry mace, but I have to check with the owners first. I think they look at it as "run away, just run away and call 911" Unfortunately I don't run, I walk slow....

If your employer/client doesn't approve mace you should checkout DyeWitness a non-toxic green foaming dye spray that will render an attacker vulnerable to your counter attack OR buy you sufficient time to 'leg it' (it also marks them with a dye that won't wear off for days assisting identification purposes)

The more I think about the battery pack add-on for the Brinkman Halogen I have now, the better I like it. I can buy a 12v, 2.3 amp hour Camcorder battery for about $15 and a charger for about $10. I could slide it in a pouch on my side and just use a cord from it to the Brinkman. I would think that it would give sufficient additional time to the light, but I'd better do some checks on a tester, to see what draw is on the Brinkman. It might be a viable option.

I still want to get something like what many of you have offered as a smaller style which can be holstered. I like that idea. I like the LED idea too. I really am surprised at the power of the LED flashlights. Very interesting..... Unenlightened, Ya that's me!

I agree... if you could modify your current portable spot lamp this would be a cost effective solution, runtime would be improved depending on the chemistry coice of battery (and it's respective behaviour), for patrolling large open areas I've found of all my lights (including 50w M@glite) nothing delivers like my HID modded spotlights (I prefer the Thor Scout host for size/weight)

Some people are recommending Surefires, and although they are quality lights, they use non-rechargeable CR123s which will get expensive quick. You simply need a rechargeable solution.

Never heard of rechargeable Li-Ion batteries (like AW's protected cells)? these can be had relatively cheaply around $10.00 USD each, with a basic charger not much more the the cost of a couple of cells... this is what allows me to fully utilize my multi-mode Cree SureFire 6P (rather than just admire it's build quality)

 

[jusval]

Jusval, after reading your requirements, I think your best option is the Ultrafire 500. I can find no other flashlight for that price that comes with a rechargeable solution and puts out that much light. If I didn't have a ROP, I'd buy one myself. The 500 is in a totally different class from the "small sun" 3xAA light you are looking at. The Ultrafire will be about 5x as bright and throw considerably farther. That "small sun" light will be about as bright as your Maglite with LED dropin.

Some people are recommending Surefires, and although they are quality lights, they use non-rechargeable CR123s which will get expensive quick. You simply need a rechargeable solution.

Ya, I like the idea of the 500 or even one of the SSC P7's like the Trustfire. I think they would work for large areas. I don't think either of them have much longevity though. In the back of my mind I still think about one of the 12v, 18, 24v rechargeables like Makita or several other brands, more industrial, more flood, 35W to 55W bulbs and way too much light...... WAY TOO MANY flashlights to look at and think about..... More than I ever dreamed of!! Gives me a headache.

 

[Monocrom]

Please feel free to comment and Thank You.


600 lumens? Not........
http://cgi.ebay.com/Solarforce-600L...286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66:4|65:16|39:1|240:1318
http://

Definitely not.

I have a Solarforce L600. (Same light as in the link, but mine has a black bezel instead). The light is about 250 lumens out the front. Even at the emitter, it's not 600 lumens. While most companies still list emitter lumens, and you have to subtract 1/3 - 1/2 from the advertised lumens to get a more factual number; some of the cheaper lights simply have their lumens numbers hyped up.

The beam is horribly oval. The sidespill is somewhat decent, but not enough for lighting up the entire inside of a warehouse. Build-quality of the light is also a big negative.

 

[yellow]

rechargeable for "use"-light

hmm :thinking: I am sure I posted something similar yesterday, but seems it wasnt sent ...

imho the lights posted till now are else not good in output (You have the Mag), or not good in general machining and parts (anything at half the cost of Fenix/Jetbeam/...), or just too costy even on the short run (CR123 powered)

Good You raised Your budget, now You get something of value that wont let You down within weeks (or even days).

recommendation:
* NO single battery light (except for single 18650), means 2 AAs or 2 CR123s at least
* when You already have good Ni-Mh cells and charger, go for a Fenix L2D / LD20,
* when You not have this equipment, skip the whole Ni-MH thing and get a light running on 18650 Li-Ion cell(s).
Those are cheaper, put more power into a light of the same package and charger is cheaper also.

Because I want different output levels, I advise to look for a Jetbeam Jet III model with I.B.S interface,
the Pro is said to be more focused, ST more general beam
cells can be found from member "AW" in here (or his cells from lighthound, or ...) they also offer doublecell-multiformat chargers.
Only use protected cells!