Hand held throw flashlight/torch for Search & Rescue organisation

[Syntarsus]

Hi CPF community!

It's been a while since I last frequented the forums with any sort of regularity, on trying to log in with my old account details I realise it's been 10 years and my account understandably has been deactivated. I have been perusing the threads for information and am struggling to find up to date posts specifically with what I'm after, so I'm hoping a new post is not unwarranted.

These days I volunteer with a rescue organisation in the UK and have been asked to research a new flashlight/head torch combination for the team. The idea being the head torch will be used for closer range and walking around and the hand held for periodic scans of the hills at long range.

I have up until now been using a Surefire LX2 Lumamax, which when I purchased was the pinnacle of size/throw engineering off the shelf. Before that a Surefire U2 Ultra. I am not too surprised to see that things appear to have moved on somewhat. It's very difficult though to get good information on the throw distance vs how much flood the lights produce.

The teams finances will not stretch to Surefire (unfortunately). We ideally want:

Hand sized 15cm/6 inch long max, bezel no more than say 4cm/1.5 inch.
Good distance of throw (more the better), for scanning hillsides at distance for people etc.
Running time on max or near max of say 1-2 hours.
Must be available in the UK, ideally not too exotic a brand.
Would be good if it ran re-chargeable batteries too.
I figured it would need to be CR123A batteries, but suggestions on AA battery flashlights/torches would be gratefully received.
Lanyard attachment point and clip for holding onto bag strap would be good so less chance we will lose them.

From my research I was thinking something like the Fenix PD35 Tactical http://www.fenixtorch.co.uk/Shop/Fenix-Torches/PD-Series/13151-Fenix-PD35-TAC-Tactical-Edition.html

Even that though with 1000 lumens is stating 200m throw, my Surefire LX2 with 200 lumens can come close to matching that on a dark night, so is this quite floody too? Too floody??

Lastly I would like to upgrade my own Surefire to something more with the times, any suggestions? My requirements are same as above, but my budget will be larger 😀.

Any help and suggestions are appreciated.

Syntarsus.

 

[archimedes]

Re: Hand held throw flashlight/torch for Search & Rescue organisation

Did I miss what was the exact budget(s) ? And how many you plan to buy ?

 

[Timothybil]

Re: Hand held throw flashlight/torch for Search & Rescue organisation

Also, what do you consider a reasonable distance to reach out to? And you are going to have a hard time reaching out very far with a reflector the diameter you indicated. The lights I am familiar with that will reach out 500+ meters have reflector heads in the 7.5cm to 10cm range, and multiple CR123/18650 cells to get the power and run time you are looking for. I know there are several serious SAR people on SOL, so I expect them to have some good suggestions.

The light I am familiar with that comes closest to your specs would be the Nitecore P30. It is a single 18650/ dual CR123 light with a 5cm head, and a stated max range of 600m on Turbo. Even though it has ATR, it won't maintain that maximum brightness for very long, so I would say a range of 350-400m would be more realistic. It has a nice tight beam to reach out with, but also enough spill to enable awareness of one's surroundings, without being so bright that it would detract from the ability to see details at the max range. At a MSRP of ~$65 and a street price of ~$50 it would be worth checking one out. Even if you find something better for a main light, it would still make a good backup/loaner light. Remember the mantra!

 

[search_and_rescue]

Re: Hand held throw flashlight/torch for Search & Rescue organisation

Acebeam K65 or Thrunite TN40

 

[Syntarsus]

Budget is around £100 per flashlight, could stretch a bit more than that if a spec really was appealing.

We will be buying 40 of them.

I think a throw of up to 500 meters would be adequate. The terrain we are in would often undulate or fall away over 500 meters unless we are in a bowl or something. I also have to weigh up what they will carry vs be seen as too heavy and they might ditch.

Maybe I need to be more realistic about bezel size? The nightcore P30 bezel of 2 inch/5 cm would be acceptable I think. I think more than that would be something a bit too big to carry in a jacket pocket etc.

Syntarsus

 

[adnj]

Check out the Emisar D1 and D1s, if you are willing to use only an 18650 cell. You can use an CR123 with an optional body tube. It is a small brand like Convoy. It will ship out of China or the USA. 400m and 700m throw, respectively.

The price is about US$40.

D1 Output:

Beam type: Spot plus spill, wide corona with four dim flower petals
Power: Probably around 6 Amps (not measured)
LEDs: Cree XP-L HI 3A ~5200K~30 cd / lmLux: 40 kcd / 400 m
Min: 0.6 lm
Max: (measured at start, not at 30s)1305 lm (30Q 18650 @ 4.17V)

D1S Output:

Beam type: Spot plus spill, small bright corona
Power: Probably around 6 Amps (not measured)
LEDs: Cree XP-L HI 3A ~5200K~93 cd / lmLux: 124 kcd / 703 m
Min: 0.6 lm
Max: (measured at start, not at 30s)1334 lm (30Q 18650 @ 4.17V)

D1 Dimensions:

18650 length: 104.2 mm
Bezel diameter: 34.9 mmHead diameter: 37.2 mm (widest point)
Body diameter: 23.9 mm
Clip groove diameter: 22.5 mm
Clip groove width: 3.0 mm
MCPCB shelf: ?? mm thick
Driver: 22.3 mm diameter, 1.6 mm thick PCB, ~19.3 mm x ~2.5 mm space for components.
Maximum cell length: 67 mm*
(protected cells may not fit)

D1S Dimensions:

18650 length: 127.5 mmBezel diameter: 50.0 mmPill diameter: 36.0 mmBody diameter: 23.9 mm
Clip groove diameter: 22.5 mm
Clip groove width: 3.0 mm
MCPCB shelf: ?? mm thick
Driver: 22.3 mm diameter, 1.6 mm thick PCB, ~19.3 mm x ~2.5 mm space for components.
Maximum cell length: 67 mm*
(protected cells may not fit)

 

[arKmm]

Hello, I'm in the UK too in a similiar field.

I'd use Flashaholics UK as your supplier and buy the following:

-Armytek Wizard V3 XPL Headlight.
-Armytek Dobermann Pro XPL-HI Searchlight.

I wont bang on about the pair too much on here. If you go on the Flashaholics website they've summarised them pretty well, better than I can! But reasons for the above suggestions, they're available in the UK, extremely well made and robust, IP68 I think, both can be run on CR123 disposables if needed, but ideally will both take the same 18650 rechargeables. Wizard comes with the batteries and is chargeable via USB for simplicity, but the Dobermann would require a simple external 18650 charger for the batteries.

Message me if you're near the SE and would like to try some devices and narrow down your choices.

 

[grateful1]

Great suggestions.
I'm looking for a SAR light as well. The Emisar has come up - though I may want a light that uses a CR123 (or a couple) - or have battery options.

Thanks for posting!

 

[Bazsy]

On that quantity you'll could possibly get a discount when you know what you will end up with.

 

[zespectre]

Many MANY lights to choose from these days.
I mention these two because I reviewed them recently so I know what they are like out in the real world.

Klarus G30 (more of a tight flood)
Review here

Klarus G35 (Turbo head throw monster)
Review here


In my younger days I worked with the Civil Air Patrol doing SAR in the Catskill Mountains of Upstate NY so I have -some- experience. I wouldn't say I'm a subject matter expert by any means but at least I have an idea what an actual SAR operation is like.

Take either of those lights, bring along a spare set of pre-charged 18650 cells in a nice waterproof box like the ones Otterbox or Solarforce makes and those lights will have more endurance than any single person.

One important note though, no matter what you buy, illumination tools that are going to be used for SAR need to have regular preventative maintenance.

That means things like having tubes of Nyogel 760G and keeping the threads and "O" rings well lubricated especially just before you go out into bad weather. It also means checking the switches for wear and tear on the rubber and the terminals for corrosion. The Senior master sergeant that ran our local CAP group used to loose his mind over the crap equipment people would show up with.

 

[glockboy]

Search for 'Convoy BD06" on banggood or gearbest, they are dealer here at cpf, contact their rep if you buy 40 lights, you'll get better deals.
The light is great for "Search & Rescue"
It got USB charger, you need to buy the 26650 battery.
It out throw the Fenix PD35.
The price is great too.

 

[Hugh Johnson]

Check out the Acebeam L16 and EC60. One is 18650 and the other 26650. They have different tint options but I think the beam on both is otherwise similar. A little less reach than P30 but broader swath of light.

 

[adnj]

Check out the Acebeam L16 and EC60. One is 18650 and the other 26650. They have different tint options but I think the beam on both is otherwise similar. A little less reach than P30 but broader swath of light.

Acebeam is a great choice if the price is acceptable. Easy to use interface on both the L16 and L30.

 

[Syntarsus]

Thanks for all the replies! We have bought one each of four types and will test them in the field to see which most closely matches our needs, the four testers are:

Fenix PD35 Tactical
Nitecore P30
Armytek Dobermann Pro XHP35 HI
Acebeam L16

We will also be looking at some of the larger options mentioned down the line as something to keep in each vehicle glove box rather than issued to each person.

 

[Bazar]

Hi CPF community!

ran re-chargeable batteries too.
I figured it would need to be CR123A batteries, but suggestions on AA battery flashlights/torches would be gratefully received.
...>why not 18650 cells and recharging? At least an initial cell to save money, with backup primary cr123? SAR teams here US might have more access to outlets and vehicles I guess.

(Even that though with 1000 lumens is stating 200m throw, my Surefire LX2 with 200 lumens can come close to matching that on a dark night, so is this quite floody too? Too floody??)

in my opinion, especially for horizon scanning where floody beams are distracting to the eyes and constrict far-distance vision, yes, 200 m for 1000 lumens will limit real throw because the peak beam intensity will be on an UNusable hot spot too wide to point at a horizon.

You want a light with throw like the Acebeam L16, for its small size, over 600meters is very good.
There are other acebeam options as well. Having a deap enough reflector for this is hard to find under iMHO, 7 inches. But that shouldn't be too long to carry somehow. Focus on this term: Candela, or, candlepower-exept cancelled is often abused whereas candela is accurate. Use 100,000 candela as a basic minimum, below that is behind the curve in my observation.

Syntarsus.

 

[Bazar]

Many MANY lights to choose from these days.
I mention these two because I reviewed them recently so I know what they are like out in the real world.

Klarus G30 (more of a tight flood)
Review here

Klarus G35 (Turbo head throw monster)
Review here


In my younger days I worked with the Civil Air Patrol doing SAR in the Catskill Mountains of Upstate NY so I have -some- experience. I wouldn't say I'm a subject matter expert by any means but at least I have an idea what an actual SAR operation is like.

Take either of those lights, bring along a spare set of pre-charged 18650 cells in a nice waterproof box like the ones Otterbox or Solarforce makes and those lights will have more endurance than any single person.

One important note though, no matter what you buy, illumination tools that are going to be used for SAR need to have regular preventative maintenance.

That means things like having tubes of Nyogel 760G and keeping the threads and "O" rings well lubricated especially just before you go out into bad weather. It also means checking the switches for wear and tear on the rubber and the terminals for corrosion. The Senior master sergeant that ran our local CAP group used to loose his mind over the crap equipment people would show up with.

Also means, to use lanyards, and be sure to replace lights that have been dropped on hard surfaces and retire the dropped light to backup cabinet,even, if they say they still work, albeit if the drop test rating is over 9 feet, you might simply ask those to mark dropped flashlights once per drop to keep am eye on durability, even alzeta lights stop working with rough use. Lockout modes and use of them is also recommended.