Got in trouble using my Gladius...

LOL... That's right. I got in trouble for using my Gladius up at work last night. Here's the setup. I was in a very dark pathway doing crowd control and no one was paying attention to the workers directing the flow of traffic. I had it on standard beam mode and thought, "Hey, i wonder what would happen if I used strobe...". So I set it to strobe and we had no more issues with people understanding amazingly enough. Also got mad props from the customers about the light.

So everything is going fine and dandy for HOURS and then some lead runs up to me and tells me we aren't able to use strobe functions at our workplace. Without question and a matter of a second or two before he stopped talking, I switched back to regular beam mode. The lead just said thanks and walked away without further incident.

Asked later about why we aren't allowed to use strobe and the simple answer was because it could cause a seizure. To which I responded, "The show we are working for has strobe effects in it.... so what's the difference? plus nothing is written saying we can't use strobe for guest control...". I just wanted an answer for future reference.... nothing bad... not having a fit. So the lead said just to be on the safe side not to use strobe to which I totally respect and will honor without further question.

However, I now have a question for ya'll. Since I cannot use strobe how about blinking LED?? What is available that will rival the gladius output but with blink mode??

-Castmem

use momentary flashing?

Set your Gladius to channel 3 momentary. When you push the button, light will come on 100%, let go, and it will go out.

This brings up a good point. Yes, a strobe operating at the "right (wrong) frequency could conceivably cause a seizure in a vulnerable person. Whether it's up to that individual to avoid a show that contains strobe effects is only a part of the issue. If a strobe is used in an unexpected manner or place, a victim could conceivably claim that they weren't prepared for it to happen there (with their meds, glasses or whatever).

I would stay on the safe side and avoid strobing the crowds, even if the possibility of this happening is very small. With the litigious society that we live in, if it does happen, you know who they'd go after.
:sigh:

the number of people with some degree of epilepsy in the world is fairly high, as high as .5% of the population or 1 out of every 200 people. Out of those only 4% are photosensitive, or able to be triggered into a seizure by a flashing light.

dont know what help that is, but I have a friend with epilepsy and he fills me in on all the stats

if you already had a sign out front warning that the show used strobe lights, then it's not a stretch I dont think to safely use the light that way. But be ready to take care of the one poor guy who collapses in front of you!

It all comes down to liability, if the show induces a seizure then they are probably covered as purchase of the ticket waves their right to sue for such and they have insurance probably as well, your employer on the other hand does not, if you induce a seizure in someone then you and your employer gets sued and their and your insurance may not cover it as it was not a sanctioned action by your employer. It's all about the liability.

Also, don't forget that the Gladius strobe was intended for maximum disabling effect, and I believe that the NightOps folks did some homework to set the strobe rate for the greatest 'impact', thus I would suspect that a sensitive person would be more likely to sieze when strobed with a Gladius. The strobes in a show aren't so intended and most likely have different rates and a lesser degree of effect. I do believe that the strobe frequency has a great deal to do with how strongly an individual will react.

How about using that when, let's say, you get pulled over by an officer at night. Officer comes over with his lights and shines it into the car and says: "How's it going in there?" You turn your torcher on and flash him and reply: "How's it going out there?" Can you get in trouble?

greenLED said:

use momentary flashing?

Click to expand...

Just wear a rain coat with no clothes on underneath. Then when folks aren't paying attention, you can flash them!

CHC said:

How about using that when, let's say, you get pulled over by an officer at night. Officer comes over with his lights and shines it into the car and says: "How's it going in there?" You turn your torcher on and flash him and reply: "How's it going out there?" Can you get in trouble?

Click to expand...

Driver; (waving a strobing Gladius past the officer's eyes) You don't need to see my identification
Officer; (flatly) I...don't...need...to...see...your...identification
D; (Strobing...) I'm not the driver you're looking for
O; you're...not...the...driver...I'm...looking...for...
D; I can go about my business
O; you...can...go...about...your...business...
D; Move along
O; move...along...move...along...<drool>...


sorry, couldn't resist

Hey MacTech! Are you a hypnotist?

CHC said:

How about using that when, let's say, you get pulled over by an officer at night. Officer comes over with his lights and shines it into the car and says: "How's it going in there?" You turn your torcher on and flash him and reply: "How's it going out there?" Can you get in trouble?

Click to expand...

While that's kinda funny, the next step in the encounter would probably be a gun pointed at you.

Wasn't questioning wheather it's use was appropriate or not... Just found it funny that someone got their panties in a knot over it LOL. I'm one of those fellas where if you tell me not to do something once, I won't do it again.... or in this case won't do it again at my place of employment.

I would however like to find a light with a blinking mode nothing near strobe. Any recomendations?

-castmem

what about one of those emergency car flasher things? I saw some thread about them a while back - but don't remember anything about them except that you could get them in various colors and some were magnetic...

I agree with what Radio said. Your bosses are just protecting themselves from being sued. If the people who put on the show are not aware enough, or don't care, (or are protected,) that's their problem.

I don't know if this is proven or not but, strobing lights makes some people feel sick as well. It happened to me for a physics lab recently. I wasn't nausious but, the upset, ugh... this is going to make me sick feeling was there. I'm sure there are people out there who would react more severly than I did.

There are a lot of them. If you are going to be needing a light for regular use it's a pain to switch it back and forth to flashing. Perhaps you could wear a headlamp such as the Princeton Tec EOS and leave it on flashing. It's small and runs a long time. This way you could still have hands free for another light.

Just curious: what kind of frequency of strobe are we talking about with the Gladius? My guess is some 12-15 per second?

Kees