Oh TK40, why did I forsake you?

[collo]

A short story for your edification...

Some may cry, most will laugh, a few will say "I told you so"...

I'm the happy owner of a TK40, which I use for nightly walks, but I do find it a tad heavy. I recently bought one of those cheap DX lights, an Aurora Cree-R2, running a single 18650.

Anyway, the night came for its first trial run as a potential compact replacement for use on these walks. As I was setting out, I noticed a bit of flickering, but figured the switch or threads were just "settling in".

After a while, I came to a T-intersection at the end of a fairly darkened street which has a bus storage yard at the end of it. About 20 ft from the intersection I see, to my horror, the gates are open and a large noisy rottweiler coming my way at full speed.

With nowhere to run, I step over the 2 ft high fence of the house next to me, knowing that my only protection is the 250 lumens from the mighty Aurora.

The guard dog has slowed up and is in the middle of the intersection, so I decide to hit him with the strobe. A single click on the tailcap and the little Aurora just sh*ts itself, with me just about following suit. Oh dear, is this how it all ends?

A frenzy of mad clicking eventually restores full brightness, allowing me to gingerly make good my retreat.

Never again. My TK40 will allways come walking.

 

[Egsise]

I don't think that strobe would've helped you.
Just let the dog bite you, call the police, sue the dog owner and see that the dog gets what it deserves.

What if that dog attacks to someone who's not so fast from his feet, like children or older people.

 

[jhc37013]

No matter what your primary light is there is always the potential for failure some lights the potential is FAR less but what I really mean is always carry a backup light especially if you know you are going to be in pitch black conditions.

 

[LeifUK]

I would report the owners to the police. Allowing what sounds like a dangerous dog out is not safe.

 

[collo]

.....Just let the dog bite you, call the police, sue the dog owner....What if that dog attacks to someone who's not so fast from his feet, like children or older people.

I'm actually one of those "older" people and may not have survived to sue another day! (The police were informed, but that's a much less entertaining part of the saga.)

 

[JaguarDave-in-Oz]

The strobe idea is entertaining, I strobe my sheep dog occasionally and he doesn't even bother to look away.

 

[strinq]

There's a thread over at the general section about whether or not lights will stop a dog.
The general consensus is a pretty big No.

 

[T0RN4D0]

Yep, no strobe will help you with keeping dogs at bay. I suggest you start carrying around a 7D mag. HM, and maybe a mace-style custom head :devil:


And uhm, i wouldnt use anything from dx directly in action without a dry test first.

 

[zs&tas]

in my experience a bright enough blast - hotspot on the face will deter the dog and usually calm it down so the owner can get hold of it, or i can get past/around it. also if its hell bent on running at you a blast of light destroys its vision, unlikely it will be going in the right direction, probally why they stop and go back home.

ive done this for 3 years now without problems, the time i didnt have a light and someone had his dog off the lead at dark, me and my dog got bit.

wont ever happen again.

 

[StandardBattery]

The lesson here I believe is ALWAYS carry a backup.

 

[Locoboy5150]

As mentioned in that other thread about this subject, strobe is pretty much useless to a dog. The TK40 would have been a better choice only because it has more mass to it.

What works best in this situation is a whistle. My mom carries one with her just for this purpose of scaring away dogs when she goes jogging and it has worked every time. It's not a fancy dog whistle either, but just a regular one like what police officers use when they direct traffic.

 

[Dark Laser]

[QUOTE="T0RN4D0] I suggest you start carrying around a 7D mag.[/QUOTE]

+1 :thumbsup:

Even if it might not help that much, depending on the dog's size...

 

[was.lost.but.now.found]

There's a thread over at the general section about whether or not lights will stop a dog.
The general consensus is a pretty big No.

I just can't find it. I did extensive searches and only come up with 3 year old closed threads. Can you link please? Thanks!!

 

[hyperloop]

I just can't find it. I did extensive searches and only come up with 3 year old closed threads. Can you link please? Thanks!!

I recall seeing a thread like that somewhere too but take it from a dog owner, i can strobe my dog from a distance of 2 feet and she looks straight into the beam with no expression whatsoever.

 

[Outdoors Fanatic]

Lucky you! If that strobe didn't fail you would had to deal with a very pissed off dog...

 

[THE_dAY]

I just can't find it. I did extensive searches and only come up with 3 year old closed threads. Can you link please? Thanks!!

Here you go:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?p=3195612

 

[Campdavid]

Nope.....strobe does not work on dogs, bright light does not work on dogs but smacking the mean beastie across the snout with a TK40 would certianly make that light superior to the DX.

Or you could do what I do: carry my favorite light, my home-made walking stick and a can of mace.

Given your situation I think going to the walking stick first would be a good choice....much more sporting. But if I really found myself in that situation I would probably dump the whole can of mace in it's face and then run screaming like a little girl.

P.S. I think all the bright light vs. animal stuff started on the Surefire website. People can write in with their experiences and from those stories you would think a charging rhino could be stopped with a beam of 80 lumens. As if a rhino can't charge in mid-day sunlight. :shakehead

 

[LumaNaughty]

I'm actually one of those "older" people and may not have survived to sue another day! (The police were informed, but that's a much less entertaining part of the saga.)

My wife has had problems with a couple dogs charging her on multiple occasions in the neighbourhood and animal control didn't do anything until we took pictures and pushed the issue. The owner was fined a couple times ($50 and $150). Next time it will be $300.

Now I walk with her as a body guard (I have a CCW)...

 

[LightOnAHill]

Had I been there, and if the dog had come over the fence, I'd of shot it.


Let it bite me? Ha! Not likely.

 

[Apollo Cree]

At one time, Halt! http://www.halt.com/halt.html seemed to be the "gold standard" for dog repellents.

I guess dogs are one advantage a D-cell Maglite has over smaller flashlights.