FR1200A comparison with indoor shots only

[276]

I just got this today and took a quick comparison between my FR600A & FR400A. And i also got the new filters which i will show below on the FR600A.
Distance is 30ft (Sorry if the pics suck).

First FR400A

Probably my favorite Peak light the beam on it is great and is not as narrow as you would think. especially at a further distance.

2) FR600A

No the cleanest beam with the donut hole in the center and having a square beam but it sure is bright.

3) FR600A - Medium filter ( Flood)

I really like this filter it makes the Fr600A a clean flood beam with no artifacts, i am currently using it on this light since it gets rid of the donut hole and square pattern.

4) FR600A - Narrow Filter ( Round looking pattern, gets rid of squarish beam)

This one gets rid of the square beam pattern as well but keeps the donut hole but gives it some more of a round beam pattern.

5) FR1200A

Here its is this is very bright looks brighter than my catapult and RRT-3. As you can see the beam is bigger than the FR400A but same profile. The tint is white in the center with yellow and a hint of blue around the edges of the center beam and around the outer. It is a longer sucker almost longer than my Pelican 8060.

Last is a group picture with all of them and a 2D Maglite

Alex

 

[grinsefalle]

Thanks a lot for your pics! For someone like me, who cannot decide between the different Peaks, it is helpul to see some lights next to each other and their beams.

:thumbsup:

Michael

 

[RAGE CAGE]

nice pics....what batts are you running in the FR1200A- 4 primary 123's or 2 18650's- AW- IMRs perhaps?
Do you have any outdoor beamshots....?
looking to see if it "reaches" out to the reported 1000 ft range.

 

[276]

nice pics....what batts are you running in the FR1200A- 4 primary 123's or 2 18650's- AW- IMRs perhaps?
Do you have any outdoor beamshots....?
looking to see if it "reaches" out to the reported 1000 ft range.

I was using 2 18650 ultrafire 3000, i haven't gotten into IMR cells yet. I dont have any outdoor shots especially at that distance i could do about a hundred yards at most.

 

[276]

Here is the only outdoor one i have at a 100 yards
The white fence in the back right is the hundred yards.

Here are some shots Bob at RMSK asked if i could do side by side of a RRT-3 and a catapult.

Group shot

On the left is the RRT-3, FR1200A in the middle and the Catapult on the right.

RRT-3 on the left and Peak FR1200A on the right

Peak FR1200A on the left and Catapult on the right

The RRT-3 and the Catapult have the more concentrated hot spot and the Peak is larger and brighter.

 

[eyeeatingfish]

I have to say the indoor beamshots are rather unimpressive, especially against the other lights, but the way this thing lights up that back yard way is amazing.

 

[grinsefalle]

The indoor comparison shots with the RRT3 and Catapult are a bit surprising. I expected a more intense and tighter spot from the FR1200 with its optic (i like the tight beam of the SF LX2). But the outdoor shot in the backyard is indeed very impressive!

Michael

 

[DUMDUM]

Alex Thanks for the shots
Bob

 

[Curt R]

The FR1200 is a part of the First Responder family of lights and has a much smaller diameter optic than
the RRT-3 and the Catapult. This can be seen by the above posted beam shots. The FR lights are a
balance of throw and spread whereas the Night Patrol series are designed for the beat duty cop that
is more interested in a small compact belt carry light. The FR lights are also better for weapon mounting
for S.W.A.T. team usage as the light is more concentrated while still providing spill.

The Night Patrol lights are more useful for traffic stops, inside searches and other applications
where good side spill is required. Up to 70% of gun fights occur at night and up to 40% of those involve
two or more assailants. The NP300 has greater throw than the NP400.

The FR series is designed for more power than the NPs and have a larger optic and head size. But we
have restricted the head diameter to 1.6 inches so that the light is still belt carry-able. There are four lights
in the FR family; FR400, FR600, FR1000 and the new FR1200. Each has different light output patterns.
The FR400 and FR1200 are for more throw than the FR600 and the FR1000 that have a larger spread.

The Search and Rescue lights that are in the prototype design mode right now and are for maximum throw.
The SR450 and the SR1500 will use a 58 mm reflector from Phoenix. The head diameter will be 2.5 inches,
(63.5 mm), and will equal the beam pattern of the RRT-3 and the Catapult. The FR450 will use the same
battery compartments as the FR and NP light series. The SR1500 will use two Lithium Iron Phosphate 3.3 volt
'M' series batteries rated at 10 at Amps of capacity each. The great thing about these batteries is that
they are of industrial quality and are basically explosion proof, and can take twice the number of charges
as an 18650. I not only worry about having 6 x 18650 batteries in the same light but the problem of having
to charge 6 batteries, that would require three battery chargers, etc. Most triple battery holders are really
not that well made for field duty applications.

The SR2200 with the SST-90 LED will use a custom designed 83 mm Phoenix reflector and the SR6000
with the CSM-360 LED will use a Phoenix 105 mm reflector. Both will use the same battery compartment
as the SR1500. They will also be able to use a pistol grip handle and can run off of a 12 volt battery
supply with a remote cable. And of course all of the FR and SR series lights can have the infinitely adjustable
light output from zero to maximum.

I expect to have the SR450 and the SR1500 prototype lights done by the end of the month ready for
production with the SR2200 ready the following month.

Curt

 

[RAGE CAGE]

Here is the only outdoor one i have at a 100 yards
The white fence in the back right is the hundred yards.

Thanks...that helps alot.......good throw and spill/flood comination IMO.

 

[Cesiumsponge]

Any further reviews on these lights after having them in-hand for a month and change? I've been considering the FR1200A as a "big boy" light to invest in.

Do they all come with a silver adjustment knob and not a black one? Is there a particular reason for this (artistic liberty?) Thanks!

 

[276]

It comes with the silver knob, great thing about it is the variable output. I love being able to have almost no output then all you have to do is adjust the knob and then you have what you see in the photo above.

Alex

 

[Cesiumsponge]

How stiff is that variable output knob to turn? Won't change positions if you toss it on the floor of a car and it rolls around a bit?

Does it feel like it has some resistance when turning, like a twistie tailcap? I ask because I don't know if it's "o-ringed" so it's waterproof. I don't think I saw anything on the website about the water resistance of the First Responder series but at this price level, I have to think so.

 

[MWClint]

How stiff is that variable output knob to turn? Won't change positions if you toss it on the floor of a car and it rolls around a bit?

Does it feel like it has some resistance when turning, like a twistie tailcap? I ask because I don't know if it's "o-ringed" so it's waterproof. I don't think I saw anything on the website about the water resistance of the First Responder series but at this price level, I have to think so.

yes there is resistance from the o-ring. I've walked the dog with it in some pretty nasty rain and havent had any issues.

the knob is also held in place by a set screw, so theoretically if you want to have the knob anodized or cerakoted..etc you could do so very easily.

The knob is also a good location for a trit, which would also serve as a positional brightness level indicator.. i picked up a tritium dot, just have to drill a small
hole and epoxy it in. i have the FR1000A with 2x18650 and 3xAA bodies.

 

[Cesiumsponge]

Awesome! Is Bob at RMSK the official dealer? I found the official site and RMSK. Does he have an account here that I can PM? If not I'll just email to nail down details. Wish I could call up but I work 10hr shifts weekdays so its hard to get in a meaningful conversation during a short break or lunch.

I'm fairly new on CPF so I'm still iffy on efficiently hunting down information and contacts. Been lurking a while but decided to take the leap and start posting recently.

 

[Dances with Flashlight]

Is Bob at RMSK the official dealer? Does he have an account here that I can PM?

1. Yes
2. DUMDUM

 

[Cesiumsponge]

Awesome, thank you kindly!

1. Yes
2. DUMDUM

 

[Curt R]

A question concerning leaving the FR1200 on at full power over the recommended 10 minutes has been asked.
Will it hurt the light or warranty?

The SST-50 LED is driven at close to 5 Amps, that's about 16 to 18 watts of energy, of which only 50% is light,
the rest is heat. The electronics compartment and battery compartment are isolated from the LED
portion of the head. This will prevent excessive heat damaging those parts and allow you to hold onto the light
at full power. Two of the most powerful 18650 batteries have 22 watts of energy density, therefore the light should
operate for almost an hour at full. That amount of draw will cause both the electronics and the batteries to get
warm. The electronics will handle that with no problem. The batteries however will lose capacity and rechareability
if repeated often. They may not see more that 100 recharges.

The only other area of concern is the LED when subjected to that amount of heat. Instead of 50,000 plus hours
of usage, constant full power usage beyond the 10 minute suggestion will result in a decrease in life to somewhere
in the 1000 to 5000 plus hour range to 70% of initial output. The head will get hot, size matters here also. The
SR 1500 head will have 3 times the cooling surface and will use different batteries. We can only do so much
with current technology as to power output and size. The NP and FR series is designed for duty belt carry, and must
be small. One feature of the FR series lights is that they all have replaceable LED heat-sink modules. The electronics
are current output limited, so only the same type of LED will work in that head. An SST-50 LED module will work in
an FR400, but will only see 1.5 Amps of drive. An XPG module can be placed in the FR1200 head and at 5 Amps
of drive.

The FR1200 can see 75% drive all day long, or as long as you have batteries to put in it.



The other question is, how long will the light run at full power with different batteries?

This is a basic question and because there are so many different batteries, battery compartments and different
power output heads, the only way to answer that is with math.

First figure out the energy density of the battery set, that is done by multiplying the battery capacity in mA by the
battery voltage to get watts of energy density. Then multiply that by the number of batteries used. That gives total
capacity in watts available.

Then you need the watts required by the LED and the efficiency of the electronics. The NP 300 is 5 watts. NP400 is
7 watts. FR400 is 6 watts. FR600 is 11 watts. FR1000 is 15 watts. FR 1200 is 18 watts.

Divide battery capacity by head requirements to get approximate run times at full power in hours. At 50% power output
the run time will be 2.5 times that of 100%, and at 25% the run time will be 5 times.


A third question is, can the FR1200 be used as a club?

The answer is no. We have designed to the light to be quality built and to last in police duty operations. But it
is not a club, lights these days must go through the legal department in more and more police departments.
They are restricted to weight and without harm inducing features such as bezel cut-outs. Those features are now
recognized as the same as a knife by some departments. If you as a cop carry one and use it on someone, you
now may be suspended and open to legal action. Better to be safe as to legal action against your actions, even
if your department allows such usage. The courts do not care what your department rules currently are.

Curt

 

[Cesiumsponge]

What is the water resistance on the law enforcement units? Does it have an IPxx rating, some sort of depth rating? I'm not going to SCUBA with it, but some sort of metric on it's water resistance would be nice reassurance. I'm sure it's sealed up good but getting an official word on it would be great.

 

[medr00g]

What kind of filter do you used in the fr600A to get rid of the squarish beam. Is it from peak? By the way nice review.