The vintage California cop light company thread

[bykfixer]

Sigmalite was a such a short lived project it's hard to know exactly when or what occured. If I recall correct it lasted about 2 years with the change occuring mid-way.
The answers you seek are in Don Kellers noggin.

 

[knucklegary]

Don is due to chime in soon. Hope he's doing well 🇺🇲

 

[konifans]

The first generation Maglite AA
I have been looking for these for many years.

 

[hsa]

Wow, they look brand new. Nice find.

 

[knucklegary]

Did you find a case of NOS.. How about sharing?

 

[konifans]

They are NOS 😀

 

[bykfixer]

Those were game changers.

(Another) Awesome score konifans!!!

 

[bykfixer]

Speaking of game changers.....

The one that started an entire industry, the D size Kel-Lite. An early 2D big head number from Don Keller himself.

Blank tailcap

Only Kel-Lite is stamped on the barrel, no serial number.

 

[knucklegary]

Not too much branding on his early model D, nice!

 

[aznsx]

Speaking of game changers.....

Those puppydog eyes in that first photo make it a winner too!

 

[knucklegary]

That's Tralfaz saying to his dad 'can I play with dat one'

 

[bykfixer]

Good guess KG, but actually he was giving me the sad eye because I'd interupted his termite meal.

A couple of minutes prior to me taking the flashlight outside for a photo I saw him through the window munching away on a guardrail to the doggy ramp we built back when another dog had gotten a bionic tendon in his knee.

I put a glass lens from flashlighlens and a Maglite PR base xenon bulb in the light so it appears brighter than it was when fully stock. The beam is much whiter with xenon than from a GE argon bulb that originally came with the light.

 

[konifans]

This is Don Keller

 

[bykfixer]

I did not know Tony made B-Lites...wow!!

Very enjoyable watch. Thanks Konifans!!!

 

[aznsx]

This is Don Keller

ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING!!

THANK YOU!!

 

[knucklegary]

An inventor's symposium.. By listening to Q&A at the end, not very many folks there, if anybody, were collectors of old cop lights.
Here on CPF, Don's knowledge and information is priceless!

 

[ABTOMAT]

Ah, the elusive Sea Probe still eludes... could be more photos of the Lochness Monster than a Sea Probe.

Happy holidays, guys.

 

[rwolfenstein]

Back in the day when I first got into my line of work, the common cop light was either a streamlight SL20X or a Maglite Magcharger. All of the cars had charging docks for them. The common tactical lights were surefire. Its rather amazing how the old surefires that I used to see commonly are now things of the past. I remember seeing a surefire Z2 with its lens cover for the tac teams. They got all the neat things like dedicated fore-end lights. If you had a lighted weapon, it was either an insight UTL or a surefire P series weapon light. My my the times have changed.

 

[jz6342]

Back in the day when I first got into my line of work, the common cop light was either a streamlight SL20X or a Maglite Magcharger. All of the cars had charging docks for them. The common tactical lights were surefire. Its rather amazing how the old surefires that I used to see commonly are now things of the past. I remember seeing a surefire Z2 with its lens cover for the tac teams. They got all the neat things like dedicated fore-end lights. If you had a lighted weapon, it was either an insight UTL or a surefire P series weapon light. My my the times have changed.

I remember getting a MagCharger as a prize at the security company I worked for in the mid 80's - it was THE STUFF! I had it for many years until I passed it onto my oldest son and we mounted it in his truck (with a new bulb and battery pack). He's still using it

 

[bykfixer]

This thread was started to fill in some gaps regarding the history of a few flashlight companies that changed the game so it's nice to hear from the players.