what's the best car distress mode? any experience

LEDBE
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tubed

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May 3, 2012
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I finally have a light to put in my wife's car for emergencies. I got one of the sale-priced Quark AAs (tactical) at GG. Cant say i'm a huge fan of the Tactical interface just because you basically end up with a two-mode flashlight given how complex it is to reintroduce other modes (but that's a topic for another day).
Anyway - I have to choose 2 modes for her. One is going to be High (not turbo, to save power) and for the other I want something that she can use as a signal if the car is broken down on the side of a busy road. What I would really like is a blinking mode that no one seems to make on these lights. My other options (with their +/-'s) are:
1. strobe - very eyecatching but almost too disorienting. I don't want to freak out oncoming traffic. (ill tell her not to point it towards traffic but i'm sure she'll forget)
2. SOS - seems the best but inbetween "letters" there's a siginicant pause of no light that I don't like. Also, i'm worried it may be interpretted literally and someone will think there's real trouble.
3. beacon - way too much time between blinks

Any thoughts or experience?
I would gladly replace all my SOS, strobe and Beacon settings on all my lights with a simple blink mode
 
I always hate to say this, but I think a better flashlight would suit her needs better. In a car and working in the dark, most times high is just simply too much light. In a car you will only be dealing with short distances so it will be to much there, and even changing a tire, I wouldn't want to work with bright.

As far as signaling cars do NOT shine a light at them. Their is a far greater chance of an accident and one that could actually hit your wife or her car in the process. You will want something very low or an orange or white cone to go over the light.

The only option here is SOS or Beacon. and both are going to be blindingly bright to oncoming traffic. Just my .02
 
I've always had the same problem with most light's blinky modes, I can think of 98 reasons for needing a blinky that says "caution" and only 2 reasons for needing a blinky that screams "HELP!, POLICE!." That's tactical and impractical for ya (I EDC Quark regular).

This won't help your situation, but I have EagleTac D25A clicky and it has, IMHO, three very useful blinky modes that say "caution". Two are just steady blinking modes - full brightness @ 0.75 sec. intervals and half brightness @ 1.5 sec intervals. The third is actually a high speed SOS, but is basically unintelligible, and looks more like a slow speed random strobe.

With the Quark Tactical, I would personally set it to be useful (ML or 3 lms tight bezel and high loose bezel) and then just use constant-on high as the warning light, if the need ever arises.

Why can't we teach our wives to program a light? I gave my wife a D25A, but there is no way she could ever dig out those good blinky modes. Just hope we both have cell reception if she ever breaks down so I can talk her through it.
 
Most people wont pull over to help someone at night so, strobe will work well for road side emergency. Most people dont know SOS and beacon is used as just that, to mark something. Strobe gets attention. Thats good for safety and all thats needed at night. Use a phone to get a hold of some help.

Use a lanyard to hang the light off the review mirror or open the trunk and hang it off that and turn on strobe. That way people will see the car and not run into it. And if law enforcement see it they will stop to see whats going on. And I agree with the user above me, high is too much. Medium will be better
 
A "blinker" mode could be useful, but as long as the car has some power, she'll have access to her blinkers. If running out of power in a dark area is a real concern (rural, less-developed urban, etc.), I suggest getting a bicycle blinker light.

It's something she can hang from a rear-view mirror so she doesn't have to get out of the car, or drape it around the driver's side mirror as a warning to other cars.

The other recommendation is a simple two-mode light that she can use inside the car without blinding herself and a high power for use outside the car. There are a number of lights that fit this requirement: the Fenix E21, E25, the Rayovac Indestructible 2AA, and more.

Ideally, she has a warning blinker -and- a flashlight. That way she's not stuck choosing between one or the other.
 
thanks for all the input folks.
I haven't actually put the light in the car yet. Knowing my wife, it is unlikely she would even remember to twist the bezel to get to the blinking mode ---to her its a one mode light.
i like the idea of using the layard to hang it from the rear view mirror, facing down.
I still cant decide if i should just set it for low and high.
What bums me out about that is that I could by a $15 Rayovac indestructable that would do the same thing - and would be less likely to confuse her.
Maybe i'll rethink this whole thing and choose another light for her.
The PERFECT light for her would be:
3 modes - high , low , blinking - all controlled from one easily identifiable switch.
If anyone has a light like that, let me know.

......come to think of it......most of the headlights i own (Black diamond, PrincetonTec, etc) have just that!
 
Have you considered just using the hazard flashes in a breakdown situation.

Norm
 
Norm said:
Have you considered just using the hazard flashes in a breakdown situation.

Norm
Click to expand...

Sure
I was thinking about times when the electrical system doesn't work (happened to me once) or you want to position a beacon a bit farther up the road (like on a bend)
 
I think the 2xAA quark tactical is one of the best lights for this situation and here's why:

I set the modes to tight head - high (or turbo), and loose head - strobe. I leave the quark in the drivers door pocket with a Fenix traffic wand (to suit TK10 & 11) which lighthound.com sell for $3.00, an absolute bargain. Here's some pics:

472.jpg


473.jpg


471.jpg


With the wand on the end of the quark flashlight and on strobe mode, traffic IMMEDIATELY slows down. It's the best emergency roadside light i've used. Other road users instantly think you are traffic control or police and straight away they are more alert and best of all they SLOW DOWN. You can hold it steady at arms length or wave it up and down in a 'slow down' motion. It works VERY well! I have used this many times and in fact i used it last night to protect other road users who had stopped dangerously in the middle of the road to move wildlife from the road.

I have a 4x 2xAA Quark Tactical and Fenix traffic wands. I keep one permanently in each car, my jeep, my wife's car, my work car and i gave a set to my dad to keep in his car. I wouldn't leave home without that traffic wand. Best thing ever for roadside issues.

Cheers
 
I keep an Inova 24/7 in each of my cars. It's eight different modes will cover most on road lighting and signalling needs.
 
gsr said:
I keep an Inova 24/7 in each of my cars. It's eight different modes will cover most on road lighting and signalling needs.
Click to expand...

just checked these out - pretty cool
a bit pricy but does sort of fit the bill
 
I have Smittybilt ufo flares for signal duty instead of magnesium flares and keep a surefire or streamlight in each vehicle. The Smittybilt UFOs are CR123 powered police style led flares and are bright as hell for their size with 8 modes available. They are magnetic, waterproof and can be driven over, not bad for 20$ from Summitracing.
 
Last edited:
Vinniec5 said:
I have Smittybilt ufo flares for signal duty
Click to expand...

Something I was toying with was getting a few bike rear blinkers. Something like the Planet Bike SuperFlash or similar. Maybe epoxying some magnets to the back and side of the light would allow them to be secured to the car. I had also thought of using a few of those LED flares that they used to sell to use as mounts for another light or 3 as stand-alone "flares".

Has anybody tried this? I don't want to derail this thread, but was wondering if this would work better than a regular flashlight.

A little more on-topic, I was thinking about a multi-mode red P60 drop-in with a flash mode that could be used from the inside of the car pointing back. That way, I could use a regular white flashlight as a dedicated task light.
 
Make sure you put lithium primaries in whatever you buy, 123A or AA.

Make sure it can not get turned on by mistake. Turning one battery backwards in a x2 AA light will work, if you explain it to her, and put a big label on it explaining that one battery is backwards.

Make sure it does not get emerged (or shorted out) in spilled oil or any other flammable liquid.
 
Actually, a flashlight is probably not the best option for car emergency.

I would keep some road flares in the trunk. Don't have to worry about not having batteries and anyone who sees a road flare on the ground will know its an emergency situation.

Of course, can you even buy these anymore?
 
Norman said:
Something I was toying with was getting a few bike rear blinkers. Something like the Planet Bike SuperFlash or similar. Maybe epoxying some magnets to the back and side of the light would allow them to be secured to the car. I had also thought of using a few of those LED flares that they used to sell to use as mounts for another light or 3 as stand-alone "flares".

Has anybody tried this? I don't want to derail this thread, but was wondering if this would work better than a regular flashlight.

A little more on-topic, I was thinking about a multi-mode red P60 drop-in with a flash mode that could be used from the inside of the car pointing back. That way, I could use a regular white flashlight as a dedicated task light.
Click to expand...


I was thinking about the bike-light red blinkers as well - you can by them at stores like walmart for not much money. then just keep the flashlight as a flashlight.
I'll have to check out those smittyflares - sound cool -and $20 isn't too bad
 
Vinniec5 said:
I have Smittybilt ufo flares for signal duty instead of magnesium flares and keep a surefire or streamlight in each vehicle. The Smittybilt UFOs are CR123 powered police style led flares and are bright as hell for their size with 8 modes available. They are magnetic, waterproof and can be driven over, not bad for 20$ from Summitracing.
Click to expand...

Do these blink or are they just constant on? seem like a good idea
 
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