Hi everyone,
I stumbled across this awesome forum when researching flashlights, so I thought I would ask the experts ...
I am a police officer in Canada, in a rural town with many open fields / wooded areas. I am looking for the best possible secondary flashlight to carry on my duty belt at all times. I need something that is powerful, preferably adjustable lumes, is friggan bright, has good battery life with the option to buy rechargables, and will be up to the task / duties of a police officer. I am in the $100 range preferably, but open to suggestions if there is an amazing light out there for me ...
I've been looking at and comparing the new Fenix TK11, Gladius Night-Ops, and the Surefire 6P.
Any suggestions are MUCH appreciated!
Hey War0088,
My suggestion to you would to be look at a combination of lights. We work in shitty environments up here in the great white north, and believe me there is nothing worse than having a light go out when your 500m from the PC in the middle of the forest looking for some guy. Most people on here preach the one is none two is one approach to lights for duty situations, I also follow this path.
The lights I would recommend for you a a Pila GL4 with the 550 lumen bulb if running primaries or a Lumensfactory EO-450 Bulb should you want to run rechargeable cells. I run my GL4 with a Red LED tail cap, makes walking around at night pleasant with out being blinding and makes you harder to see. Note this is alot of light out the fornt end of the flashlight, and may indeed be too much for many interior room/car searches or attempting to serve a traffic ticket (white paper + bright light + night= cop and client whom cant see). Also note, with high output bulbs the lights dim and then just go out, its not like the old Mag lights where they dim to pure crap first. The light goes from still useable to, well, off very quickly at the end of battery life. The second light is a Pila GL2, I just have the normal forward clicky tail switch in mine. I suggest in this light running a Wolf Eye's LED module at around 250 bulb lumens. Great for everything else. Note both of these are capable of running 18650 cells from AW or from Pila and Pila makes a super good charger for them. I always suggest running protected cells for these applications, you don't have time to sit and watch the charger at work, and your not going to remember to check your lamp for heat when trying to find X-Y-Z in the bush
poof: = :thumbsdow ).
The GL4 works great for out door or big area's and even some room searches, the GL2 w/LED works great for most duty work, but just doesn't have the throw of the GL4 for real distance.
I constantly get comments from all the guys on my watch about my lights, even the guys whom cary higher end products like surefire's on their belts. My lights are consistently brighter than everyone else's. The only caveat I didn't meet was your $100 price-point, but the GL2 with LED is close if you run on Primaries. The rechargeable cells are really going to set you back!
The Pila's are literally built like a tank, the only complaint I have had about them is that their anodized finish is fairly weak and seems to scratch easily even in normal ware and tare.
Should you have any more questions send me a private message and Ill send you a groupwise name so you can send me a very sneaky internal message. Also I'm surprised Pete B. hasn't been here yet, he's another stetson wearer whom gave me alot of my knowledge.
Pila Flashlights
Pila Flashlights US Site
Lumens Factory Bulbs
Lumens Factory Bulbs
-- or specific bulb I mentioned
See the EO-9L here
PTS Flashlights
PTS Flashlights
Recomended LED drop in
Number one
OR
Number two for a little more light
Greetings from the Cariboo and stay safe
Stephen
