what flashlight to use for work, any advice??

[fitz470]

I am a police officer and I am currently using a 2D LED mag for work and ,although it gets the job done, the color of the beam (blue in color) doesnt work well in all conditions(mostly when having to look through glass such as car windows or storefronts. Also a coworker was talking about a tactical flashlight(no idea of make or model) that is so bright it actually causes disorientation and temporary blindness when shined into the eyes of a potential threat. Im not exactly sure what the best light would be but I need something practical in size( i prefer 2D or 3D mags because they can be used as more than just a light), something very bright (bright enough to stun someone when shined in there eyes without permanently blinding them) with a more pure white beam that has good focus but can also flood an area like a large yard, that is DURABLE, with a decent battery life. Most coworkers use streamlights or pelicans(im not a fan of either( too small and not bright enough) i dont care if its rechargeable or not althoough it would be a bonus. Can someone please help? it would be greatly appreciated, thanks alot.

 

[qip]

so your the cop who will blind me when he pulls me over

since you like 3dmag size i would either suggest a malkoff drop in for the mag " look here too Look under action shots tab " but it will be another month till its available and the color i would say would be more white than blue but i dont own one ,just guessin from what ive seen.....or with a runtime of 40 minutes to an hour you can buy or make a R.O.P which will be very bright and good for your color rendition


or a fenix L2dce or P3dce would suprise you on how bright it is for its size ,Brighter than the magled you have now ...plus these have a strobing feature that may disorientate the eye nicely


and theres always many types of surfires available

 

[adamr999]

How much money are you willing to spend?

 

[Cydonia]

There is always the Magcharger. A review is here at flashlightreviews.com... which is also a site you need to see!

 

[EV_007]

This is where incandescent bulbs are better suited for the job than LEDs. The wider spectrum of the warmer incan light source penetrates tinted glass, fog, rain and general outdoor atmosphere better than the cooler light of an LED.

As the above poster mentioned, how much do you want to spend. Plan on at least spending a minimum of $50 for a good, rechargeable setup.

The Brinkman Maxfire LX is a very cost effect light with a lot of bang for the buck.

The Surefire brand is a bit more, but designed from the ground up for LEO and military applications.

My favorite all around light would be the Surefire 9P. Very versatile and bright as heck.

 

[fitz470]

as for cost, im not looking to go broke on a flashlight but im willing to spend the money for a good light that suits my needs and keeps me safe off the top of my head id say id spend up to 200 bucks but i dont see many lights that cost even that much although my knowledge on the subject is very limited(mostly to mags) also if u guys could keep it simple for me some of the stuff in the previous posts is like another language to me. and by the way i know it was a joke but im not looking to blind everyone i pull over just ppl with violent tendencies (drunks, EDP's etc.) thanks a bunch for the help so far!

 

[Ironhog81]

Hard to beat a Magcharger if you have your own unit and can leave it plugged in. You can use a brighter bulb for more light.
A good LED like the MRV from Lumapower would be good to have on a belt at all times. Pretty light weight and can run on RCR123 or 18650's.
LED won't die if you drop it.
A small pocket light LOD CE or P1 CE from Fenix always in pocket would be an ideal quick backup and you would have it at all times.
This total package would be about $200+ and you will cover the whole gamut of uses. Remember one is NONE when you need it.
Murphy is always around. And at the worst times.

 

[Cydonia]

When I first came into this crazy flashlight forum it took me weeks to figure out what an 18650 was or an RCR123A... (an 18650 is a cylindrical rechargeable lithium ion battery of 3.7v. The 18 stands for 18mm, which is the diameter. 650 for 65.0mm length. An RCR123A is a lithium ion rechargeable version of a CR123A battery. (The CR123A was originally designed for cameras. They are expensive to buy in normal retail stores - like $5 each sometimes. So people buy em' online for about $1 each) And there is a rechargeable version with an "R" in front)
Let alone all the other alphabet soup acronyms. New people show up on this forum every day... and are given lots of advice that is hard to understand. Be patient and hang in there. It takes time to wade through all the options!

There really should be some sort of Help Section or "sticky" up top of the forum with a whole "Frequently Asked Question" table for people starting out with all the new flashlights.

 

[Burgess]

to fitz470 --

Oh, and welcome to CandlePowerForums.


Sit down and do some reading . . . .

You will like it here.


Might wanna' check out the brand-new Pelican flashlight
which was developed specifically for the Los Angeles Police Department.

Could be just what you need.

 

[fitz470]

i am currently using a few lights for work, my 2d mag led is my light of choice however, mainly due to the brightness, but i also carry a 3d mag without LED's, a couple mini mags with and without LED's(actually my led mini broke, the bulbs dont last in harsh conditions) and a small floodlight for searching large areas. i like what i see in the Malkoff drop in for the mag but does anyone here own one?? how durable are they if dropped?? im not intending to drop it but it has happened(on more than a few occasions) and i even had my 3d mag get run over by a truck (still works!!) although i need a pipe wrench to change batteries but its still a very reliable backup

 

[qip]

you know what would do the trick ...a quadstar phazer but elektro is so busy i think he stopped taking orders ,but im sure someone here can make one


or maybe if you got deeper pockets for $580 i will sell my stunner and charger+6 batteries

 

[Gunner12]

The Malkoffdevices drop-in should be pretty tough. I think he dropped one off a flight of stairs and it still worked fine. It should survive drops with no problem. Malkoff used to make premodded maglites but he decided to switch to making drop-ins.

Usually a flashlight with at least 60 lumen should be able to temporally blind a person with dark adapted vision.

I'd say buy a Brinkmann Maxfire LX as a backup. About $17 at Target and has about 100 lumen, review.

Welcome to CPF!

 

[KeeperSD]

If you want to stick with a Mag size light then i agree with not being able to go past a Magcharger. I use one of these at work (station issue) and there really isn't anything not to like, except maybe the beam quality for situations under 60 feet.

A little bit smaller in size and thinner is the Wolf Eyes Rattlesnake , whilst i do not own one of these..... yet, have heard great things about them especially in the 13V configuration. http://www.pts-flashlights.com/products/product.aspx?pid=1-20-40-6185

If you want smaller still you could look at the 9V configuration in the Wolf Eyes or Surefire. Personally i think the 9V configuration offer a little more potential than the 6V, whilst the Wolf Eyes offers a little better value for money than the Surefire.

Personally i use a Magcharger, which sits in the car, on my belt i have a Wolf Eyes Raider (with a Lumens Factory E0-9 Lamp Assembly) and in my top pocket i have a Fenix L0D-CE. I think all of these a great lights for their purpose.

 

[ScooterBug]

the mag lights for me are to big. we took them out of our cars and they now have stingers. i have carried a surefire Z2 for years and love the light. of course there are others that are cheaper and just as bright but our lights are issued items.:twothumbs

 

[firefly99]

2D LED mag for work and ,although it gets the job done, the color of the beam (blue in color) doesnt work well in all conditions(mostly when having to look through glass such as car windows or storefronts

An incandescent flashlight would be better in the situtations you describe. See EV_007 explaination.

This is where incandescent bulbs are better suited for the job than LEDs. The wider spectrum of the warmer incan light source penetrates tinted glass, fog, rain and general outdoor atmosphere better than the cooler light of an LED.

The Surefire brand is a bit more, but designed from the ground up for LEO and military applications.My favorite all around light would be the Surefire 9P. Very versatile and bright as heck.

im willing to spend the money for a good light that suits my needs and keeps me safe

For active LEO and military personnels, you can't go wrong with a Surefire. It has been proven in the sandbox and on the streets. I would recommend a Surefire 10x with a high beam for looking through car window and a low beam for form filling. Or if it is too expensive, you may want to go for a Surefire M2 or Z2.

A Fenix may be using the latest LED Cree technology but it may not be tough enough / suitable for LEO's duty on the street. Irresponsible recommendation may endanger a cop life.

When you are off duty at home and need to visit the toilet at night, a Fenxi may be sufficient. But it is definitely not a duty light.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[firefly99]

double post. sorry

 

[FlashKat]

I would really consider this option. I do own a Rattlesnake M90 and you can also buy the Lumens Factory EO-13 lamp assembly that works great with this set-up http://www.pts-flashlights.com/products/productList.aspx?uid=76-78-86
It is also heavy enough to use for more than a flashlight...I will let you figure out the uses you need with a solid built aluminum body.

If you want to stick with a Mag size light then i agree with not being able to go past a Magcharger. I use one of these at work (station issue) and there really isn't anything not to like, except maybe the beam quality for situations under 60 feet.

A little bit smaller in size and thinner is the Wolf Eyes Rattlesnake , whilst i do not own one of these..... yet, have heard great things about them especially in the 13V configuration. http://www.pts-flashlights.com/products/product.aspx?pid=1-20-40-6185

If you want smaller still you could look at the 9V configuration in the Wolf Eyes or Surefire. Personally i think the 9V configuration offer a little more potential than the 6V, whilst the Wolf Eyes offers a little better value for money than the Surefire.

Personally i use a Magcharger, which sits in the car, on my belt i have a Wolf Eyes Raider (with a Lumens Factory E0-9 Lamp Assembly) and in my top pocket i have a Fenix L0D-CE. I think all of these a great lights for their purpose.

 

[adamr999]

For active LEO and military personnels, you can't go wrong with a Surefire. It has been proven in the sandbox and on the streets. I would recommend a Surefire 10x with a high beam for looking through car window and a low beam for form filling. Or if it is too expensive, you may want to go for a Surefire M2 or Z2.

A Fenix may be using the latest LED Cree technology but it may not be tough enough / suitable for LEO's duty on the street. Irresponsible recommendation may endanger a cop life.

When you are off duty at home and need to visit the toilet at night, a Fenxi may be sufficient. But it is definitely not a duty light.

Just my 2 cents.

I also would recommend a Surefire, you will be very satisfied with the performance.
I believe Surefire offers a 25% discount to police/fire personnel if contacted directly.

 

[Monocrom]

A MagCharger is a good bet, but since the lens is made from real glass; it might break if dropped. Keep the charger in your cruiser and keep the flashlight in it when you're not using it. (A continuous hour of run-time means charging the light for 16 hours). It'll cost $90 - $100 at most Brick & Mortar stores.

A good back-up would be the Brinkmann Maxfire LX. In terms of performance, it's the same as a Surefire G2. But the Maxfire is only about half as much, and easily available at Wal-Mart or Target. (The ones at Target come with a belt pouch. Nothing fancy, but it gets the job done).

 

[KeeperSD]

A MagCharger is a good bet, but since the lens is made from real glass; it might break if dropped.

I have seen quite a few lights dropped / thrown and haven't seen the lens smash. When they are thrown generally they break the filament in the bulb, but thats about it. Tough as old boots