Question about fenix pd30 strobe.

[wolfkiller]

im thinking about getting the fenix pd30, i am after the strobe function, my question is, how good is the strobe function, is it a tactical strobe quality? also how about the throw, how many feet does the strobe and the max mode reach?

thank you.

 

[wolfkiller]

also, another question, how easy is it to access the strobe, is it instant? or does it take a few seconds.

 

[snakyjake]

Are you 100% sure you want the strobe?

The PD3 has a good strobe, but I find it useless, clutter, hyped, and something I'll never use.

I say buy the light, then play around with the strobe function. Or just find some other bright light, shine it in your face, and see if that blinds you and reduces your ability to attack.

 

[wolfkiller]

yes, i need a replacement for my broken olight m20, i bought that one also for the instant strobe, i carry it whenever i carry my 9mm.

i need a replacement i'm hoping the strobe of the pd30 would be close if not as good as the warrior's

how fast can you deploy the pd30's strobe?

i live in the Philippines and the only flash light brands available here are surefire, innova, pentagon, 5.11, fenix and olight. i haven't seen othere brands yet.

surefire pentagon, 5.11 and innova are too expensive. and i don't want to buy another olight yet, so my only option is fenix, and the tk10 doesn't have the strobe, so my only option is the pd30.

 

[wishywashy7]

yes, i need a replacement for my broken olight m20, i bought that one also for the instant strobe, i carry it whenever i carry my 9mm.

i need a replacement i'm hoping the strobe of the pd30 would be close if not as good as the warrior's

how fast can you deploy the pd30's strobe?

i live in the Philippines and the only flash light brands available here are surefire, innova, pentagon, 5.11, fenix and olight. i haven't seen othere brands yet.

surefire pentagon, 5.11 and innova are too expensive. and i don't want to buy another olight yet, so my only option is fenix, and the tk10 doesn't have the strobe, so my only option is the pd30.

Greetings from a fellow Pinoy!

The P3D and PD30 IMHO is more of a moderate floody than a thrower. The strobe is not easily accessible. With the bezel tightened, a tight press (with click) puts it on turbo and another soft press puts it in strobe. You need another deep (with click) press to turn it off.

I wouldnt exactly call the strobe "tactical". It can be significantly disorienting however to someone with dark adapted vision. I prefer to call it "annoying"

 

[Gunner12]

The PD30 isn't in the same league as the M20. Look at the difference in reflector size, the M20 has a much larger reflector and hence more throw.

The strobe takes a second to get to and from what I hear is more annoying then "tactical"(what every that actually means).

:welcome:

 

[MA Ippy]

I'm on the fence about this one, too. It's the potential lack of an effective strobe that's keeping me from hitting "buy now" at this very second.

I currently carry a P3D Q5 that I love while on duty, and the only differences I'm noticing between it and the PD30 is the anti-roll body and a strobe frequency that's about twice as fast (15Hz as opposed to the P3D's 8Hz).

What a "tactical" strobe means is that, when activated, the light will cause a disorienting, choppy, even nauseating "stop-motion" effect like you'd see in some dance clubs. It's a novel feature that's really only useful to the LE and military communities. For most people it's just a cool way to mess with your friends or pets!

An excellent example I've seen (actually, the ONLY example I've seen other than the P3D) is the Blackhawk Gladius. I used a friend's Gladius strobe function on a fellow patrolman who was rolling up on a checkpoint I was standing, and they SLAMMED on the brakes to a halt. He later told me that the light really screwed with him and he had to stop because he thought he was going to crash! And that's exactly the effect you want in a "tactical" strobe light... for the bad guy to stop, or at least get confused and hesitate for a second when you turn it on, giving you or your partner a chance to f*** him up! Now, it was a unique circumstance because we didn't have any external floodlights and he had dimmed his headlights as he rolled up on us, making for a pretty dark environment. I was also pretty close to him. Had the area been better lit or he was farther away, the strobe effect probably wouldn't have been as effective.

Now, the only reason I haven't bought the Gladius is that it's about $70 too expensive for my tastes (currently about $145 on LAPG.com) and the light output is about half of what I've grown accustomed to. And the reason I want to upgrade from my P3DQ5 is because the "strobe" function, while conveniently accessible (if you already have your light on a suspect, it just takes one tap to switch to strobe), has no disorienting effect at all, and is basically just a fast blinking light. I don't want to plink down another $65 for the same flashlight with just a faster blinking light that does nothing tactically. (Don't get me wrong, other than the strobe, I LOVE my Fenix!)

Long story short, I'm going to sit back and wait for a better video to pop up on YouTube or here before I make my decision.

 

[snakyjake]

What a "tactical" strobe means is that, when activated, the light will cause a disorienting, choppy, even nauseating "stop-motion" effect like you'd see in some dance clubs.

Nauseating, unnoticed. I suppose someone might feel nauseated just like the video games I've heard on the news.
Disorienting, only if looking directly into the light.
Won't do anything in daylight or other light.

The only thing I find useful about the strobe is if I was in a situation where I want to "mask" my location. It might provide some sort of minor advantage.

But I've found a very bright light will do mostly the same things a strobe will do.

 

[txgp17]

I don't know about the PD30, but I have a P3D-Rebel, and my GF has a P3D-Q5. There is a significant enough amount of time between the "blinks" to realize something is flashing.

For Chirstmas, I bought Mom a LD10. On that model, the strobe function flashes so fast you almost don't know it's flashing, sorta like the low battery indicator. In summary, it sucks. The strobe on my older P3D is much better. It really gets a driver's attention when I need it, I'm a career firefighter.

 

[alvin8803]

hello brother! am from Bacolod city, Philippines. newbie to flashlights, sorry for being off topic but maybe you can inspire me more in choosing my first flashlight. i'm looking into fenix tk10 especially the olive green color i just love that way its built. do you think this would be worth it? i like super bright lights, is it okay if you'll teach me how to choose what's best for me? this tk10 runs with cr123, what would be the best brand for it? is there a difference in using rechargeable batteries, i mean the brightness output? can you enlighten me? thanks bro!! salamat po!