Need help in a duty led light choice

[patryk79]

Ok, I have a bit of an issue. I work in public safety and I have my good 'ol stinger that everyone seems to use. I get assignment rotations every so often and I work late hours where I use my light a lot. Unfortunately, I spend a lot of time away from a charging cradle and I've had numerous instances where my light died and I used the Olight T20 from my pocket as a backup. This is an extremely big safety problem for me, not to mention annoying as hell.

I need some advice on an LED based duty light. I want an LED cause I figure my runtime can be a hell of a lot longer than a stinger 1 hour, without the yellowing/dimming as the battery runs down. Here is what it must have:

1. LED with at least 2.5+ hour runtime of bright light, not just usable light.
2. I would prefer the illumination style of a stinger, not just a thrower with a hotspot. If I illuminate a person 15-20 feet from me, I want the "wall of light effect" on them. If I walk into a dark house, I want the room to be illuminated, not just a hotspot on a wall.
3. Rechargeable..... It just needs to run for a while between charges.
4. Well constructed to take a beating (waterproof/drop resistant).
5. Under $150 (under $100 if possible).
6. Easy one hand operation for tactical situations.

I'm new to the flashaholic community and my knowledge in "torches" is still under development. This is why I'm asking for assistance of those who know better.

Thanks to everyone who offers assistance.:wave:

 

[Zenster]

You'll get lot's of responses, many of them I'm sure with go with Surefires.

But my meager vote based on your requirements goes to this one:
http://www.batteryjunction.com/special-m1-q5-black.html

Over 4 hours runtime on high output and 25 hours on a "normal" lighting output using an 18650 rechargeable battery. A plus is that
Comes with both smooth and orange peel reflectors so you can pick the one you like best and go with it.
As a plus, it can be used with CR123's you can carry as backup (although a better plan would be to carry a spare 18650 with you).

My .02 lumens..

 

[NotRegulated]

One of the problems with the Stinger is that the battery can only be charged in the light. Once the battery goes out, the light is useless until recharged. I have had this happen to me many times. If fact, at the time, it is one of the reasons I switched from a Stinger to a Surefire 8NX where the battery is removed to charge and you put in another.

You could try the new LED Stinger which has a much longer runtime but you still have the same problem with recharging.

There are several brands of LED lights now available that could meet your needs. I have this setup below (9P version) and find it to be very good.



Host:
Surefire G3 ($59), 9P ($79) or C3 ($129 to $139).
If you already have a Surefire 6P you could buy an A19 one cell adaptor and essentially have a 9P. This will allow you to also use the same LED bulbs I list below with two primary CR123 cells too.


Bulb:
P60 LED drop-in that takes 6 to 9 volts.
I think at this time the BugoutgearUSA (BOG) Cree Q5 high output LED ($50) is the brightest drop-in available followed by Malkoff's Q4 ($55).
There are others. I have a first generation Wolf Eyes LED drop in which is very nice. The newest upgrade I have not tried yet but the WE D26 Cree Q5 ($60) should be great. You could also opt for the Surefire product which runs longer but the P60L is not nearly as bright as the others.


Power:
Two AW 17500 Li-on rechargeables batteries ($11 each for $22) and either a DSD ($12) or Ultrafire ($17) charger. You can also use three primary CR123's if the rechargeable's die in the field on you.
Oh, and if you opt for the DSD charger, make sure you get two charging spacers; one for each 17500 battery.

 

[patryk79]

Thanks for the input..... i'm gonna look into the lumahunter..... also, I hear to also take a look at the Inova t4.... any experience with it in the real world? not just wall shots....

I do currently have a G2 Nitrolon with a Cree drop-in, and the improvement over the original bulb is amazing....in brightness and runtime.... its my night stand light next to my CZ75 BD I like surefire, but it gets a bit out of my budget..... and I would almost feel bad to have a nice surefire as an everyday beater light for work....

Anyway, thanks for the responses..... every little bit helps

 

[KeeperSD]

You didn't mention how big you want the light? Any preferences?

You could try the Wolf Eyes Sniper http://www.pts-flashlights.com/products/product.aspx?pid=1-99-103-113-6313, probably not what would be described as a wall of light, but plenty enough to light up a room as well as give you a bit of throw if needed. Photo below is taken at about 10 metres.

Or you could try the Raider, which is slightly bigger than the Sniper, but will give you some more runtime http://www.pts-flashlights.com/products/product.aspx?pid=1-99-103-113-6313

Both of the lights are solid as a rock, almost as heavy too , seriously though i have been using a Raider as a duty light for almost 12 months without a failure.

 

[madecov]

I'm not sure of the size you want.
Are you uniform or plain clothes?
In uniform I've been carrying the Pelican 7060. Super bright light with tactical tail switch and also an mid body switch.

I have on order a Bug Out Q5 drop in and may pick up a G3 for it and use PILA or Wolf Eyes rechargeable batteris. If the battery dies just switch to primaries.

In plain clothes I carry the Gladius, love the various functions.

I have experience with the Lumapower, and it seems like a nice light but a bit costly. Wolf Eyes has some really nice stuff available and is getting some Q5 LED modules. I think that would be a very good choice.

 

[kavvika]

Like you mentioned, you're most likely not going to find an incan with a runtime of 2.5 hours, so you'd need to go LED. I recommend looking at a Surefire 9P or G3 with 2x 17500 cells and a BOG Q5 or Malkoff P60 dropin. You could also start out with a DX P60 module just to make sure you like that idea before you purchase a more expensive module. If you want to spend a bit more, pick up a 2x 18500 or 2x18650 C to C Leef body at lighthound, and you can easily hit 4 of more hours of runtime depending on the LED module you plan to use. The BOG Q5 and Gene's modules are more for output and not runtime, so that might be an issue, but if you wait a month or so, Gene should be coming out with a long runtime 120lm module rated for 6 hours on a set of CR123A's.

Honestly, since this is for your safety and possibly others, price, as long as reasonable, shouldn't be an issue. I say do it right the first time, and spend the money required to get the perfect light since you most likely won't need to purchase another once you find one that suits your needs. I could be wrong though?

EDIT: If you go to lighthound, they sell a modified Streamlight Scorpion with a new tube for a 18650 cell and a 3.7v Strion bulb. AW's 18650 cells are rated at 2200mAh, and the Strion bulb draws 1.67 amps, so if you pick up two of his cells, you should be able to hit your requirement of 2.5 hours. I'm not sure how output compares to a Stinger, but the Strion bulb is rated for 80 lumens. Plus, the light is on sale for $29.99. And since it's powered by a rechargeable Li-ion, it won't dim as much as the battery dies.

One last thing, there's a guy selling a used Stinger with a new battery pack over in the MP. He's asking $30, so why not pick that up for the extra battery pack in the meantime?
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=172293

 

[wjf2000]

aa

 

[wjf2000]

What is wrong with your Olight. You should put the olight on your belt and put a mag85 or rop in your patrol bag. No compact light is going to make a "wall of light effect" like a modded mag, at least not yet.

 

[matrixshaman]

You might want to look at a light running dual 18650's for the best run time and possilby a 3 LED Cree based light for a wall of light or one of the larger head lights using the SSC P4. Many are available from China so reliability may be a concern but some of the higher quality Chinese lights are IMO getting as good as many name brand USA lights. Sorry I don't have a specific light to point you to but I'll try to find one later.

 

[Lightingguy321]

If you could just spare 125 dollars more on this flashlight you could go and ge t a Surefire L7, LED has 2.5 hours run time plus a few hours more on declining output.

 

[patryk79]

To clear up what I mean by the "wall of light", I want to illuminate the entire person when I light them up, I don't want the hotspot on their face or chest.... I need to see the entire person, while keeping them from seeing me .

The light needs to fit on a duty belt.... not too much bigger than a stinger... and should be concealable for plain clothes...... my Olight t20 is my EDC, and its in my pocket even at work, but its not a duty light IMHO..... I still love it though :thumbsup:

Also, you make a good point Kavvika..... i'm going to be a bit less concerned with the price since my life will depend on it.....

Thanks to everyone for the info........

 

[Boltgun]

I have been an LEO coming on 20 years. I am a Surefire slut but I have to say that the BEST all around light for LE use is without a doubt a Night-Ops Gladius. It is even that much better now with the upgraded SSC LED.

Boltgun

 

[madecov]

I have been an LEO coming on 20 years. I am a Surefire slut but I have to say that the BEST all around light for LE use is without a doubt a Night-Ops Gladius. It is even that much better now with the upgraded SSC LED.

Boltgun

Is that the Strategos upgrade? or is Blackhawk now making a factory version with SSC ?

 

[Boltgun]

Is that the Strategos upgrade? or is Blackhawk now making a factory version with SSC ?

Madecov,

I had GladiusX1 do them....I had about 5 guys on my shift converted to the Gladius and then again to the SSC mod originally done by Mike. He gave me a better price when I did a bunch of lights at once.

I will continue to use him for my mods unless he stops doing them.

Boltgun

 

[Schnotts]

Is he still doing the mod? If so, could you pm me the details? I'm going to buy another Gladius as it was my favourite light until I broke it and I want the upgrade done.

 

[Boltgun]

I have no way of contacting him. His PM and emails are not being accepted as he had a 2 week ban. Seems like US customers are better off with the US based mod service and Canucks with his mod service due to lovely brokerage fees. Oh well. Great Mod regardless.

Boltgun

 

[Tom Slick]

Madecov,

I had GladiusX1 do them....I had about 5 guys on my shift converted to the Gladius and then again to the SSC mod originally done by Mike. He gave me a better price when I did a bunch of lights at once.

I will continue to use him for my mods unless he stops doing them.

Boltgun

I'm also a LEO using a Gladius on duty that was modded by GladiusX1. I have to say that the upgraded LED makes a big difference in brightness as well as making the beam more floody.

I have his email address, so I can PM those who would like to contact him.

Tom

 

[Toxic518]

Tom, I'll send you a PM so I can email GladiusX1. I'm also looking for a better duty light. I think the Gladius with upgrade might fit the bill.

Thanks.

 

[Schnotts]

I am also going to whip you a PM. I live in Ontario, Canada so he would be my choice to mod a Gladius.