PeterS
Newly Enlightened
After reading several other detailed reviews by other CPF users, I ordered my own "M7"/7060 LAPD from Pelican. I've had it about two weeks and thought I'd offer up my $.02 on its performance over my recent "C" shifts. I thought an LE perspective would be interesting to contrast some of the excellent technical perspectives that have been posted.
The 7060 has already been with me through rain, fog, and freezing temperatures. Despite LED technology's reputation for lack of throw and difficulty penetrating fog/rain, I've found quite the opposite in this instance. The 7060 has done quite well in thick fog, easily illuminating human and vehicle targets at 50 yards or more.
The spot beam and nice corona has given me sufficient lighting to do any number of tasks ranging from writing notes to clearing a burglary scene. The beam clearly illuminates a whole room from the doorway. That coupled with the tactical switch on the back makes it an excellent choice, IMHO, for use with a firearm. It also fits well under my arm when writing out DL information, conducting a field interview, etc.
On traffic stops, I've been able to see the vehicle occupants and their various surroundings very clearly. It has also worked very well at cutting through all types of window tint I've encountered. The brightness and concentration of the beam seemed to give me a bit of an edge with the one non-compliant driver I had (tough to resist when you can't see too well).
The beam is a little "ringy" toward the edges, but in patrol work it's not really noticeable and doesn't have any impact on its usefulness for my purposes. The switches are well placed and are easy to find by feel, especially when the last thing you want to be focusing on is your light. The octagonal head is also good in case it needs to be set down on one's hood or the ground during a struggle.
I had occasion to use this light to thwart an aggressive pit bull last night. It was sufficiently bright to disorient the dog until I could deploy my OC spray. The dog couldn't seem to shake the beam long enough to advance on me, as I kept it trained on its eyes. As a result, I was able to use an intermediate weapon rather than having to shoot the animal…. Saved me a bit of paperwork.
Battery life and brightness have been great. Without the use of electronic measuring devices, the output of the 7060 seems far superior to my SL-20X. My MagCharger seems brighter, but dims fairly quickly in comparison. I still carry one of the two with me, primarily for extended bouts of traffic control or periodic "Maglite" therapy applications. My Stinger, which was my backup light, has now been shelved. The 7060, while larger, blows it away overall.
The one thing I've found that is not a strong suit for the 7060 is being used as an improvised impact tool or "door knocker;" for that, I have to revert to the MagCharger. (Anyone know if using it that way is going to foul up the LED/mounting?) The 7060 usually lasts me about 3 ten-hour shifts before I recharge, although I could probably stretch it a bit longer if I gave it a little "boost" mid-shift.
I have to say, overall, that I'm very satisfied with the 7060's performance so far. It seems natural in my hand, has great output, a durable feel, and intuitive design. I think this is going to become a very popular light in the LE community, a new standard even. :twothumbs
I'd love to hear what others on the street have to say about it. I know my review isn't exactly quantitative in nature, but I hope it sheds some light (no pun intended :naughty
on field use of this tool.
The 7060 has already been with me through rain, fog, and freezing temperatures. Despite LED technology's reputation for lack of throw and difficulty penetrating fog/rain, I've found quite the opposite in this instance. The 7060 has done quite well in thick fog, easily illuminating human and vehicle targets at 50 yards or more.
The spot beam and nice corona has given me sufficient lighting to do any number of tasks ranging from writing notes to clearing a burglary scene. The beam clearly illuminates a whole room from the doorway. That coupled with the tactical switch on the back makes it an excellent choice, IMHO, for use with a firearm. It also fits well under my arm when writing out DL information, conducting a field interview, etc.
On traffic stops, I've been able to see the vehicle occupants and their various surroundings very clearly. It has also worked very well at cutting through all types of window tint I've encountered. The brightness and concentration of the beam seemed to give me a bit of an edge with the one non-compliant driver I had (tough to resist when you can't see too well).
The beam is a little "ringy" toward the edges, but in patrol work it's not really noticeable and doesn't have any impact on its usefulness for my purposes. The switches are well placed and are easy to find by feel, especially when the last thing you want to be focusing on is your light. The octagonal head is also good in case it needs to be set down on one's hood or the ground during a struggle.
I had occasion to use this light to thwart an aggressive pit bull last night. It was sufficiently bright to disorient the dog until I could deploy my OC spray. The dog couldn't seem to shake the beam long enough to advance on me, as I kept it trained on its eyes. As a result, I was able to use an intermediate weapon rather than having to shoot the animal…. Saved me a bit of paperwork.
Battery life and brightness have been great. Without the use of electronic measuring devices, the output of the 7060 seems far superior to my SL-20X. My MagCharger seems brighter, but dims fairly quickly in comparison. I still carry one of the two with me, primarily for extended bouts of traffic control or periodic "Maglite" therapy applications. My Stinger, which was my backup light, has now been shelved. The 7060, while larger, blows it away overall.
The one thing I've found that is not a strong suit for the 7060 is being used as an improvised impact tool or "door knocker;" for that, I have to revert to the MagCharger. (Anyone know if using it that way is going to foul up the LED/mounting?) The 7060 usually lasts me about 3 ten-hour shifts before I recharge, although I could probably stretch it a bit longer if I gave it a little "boost" mid-shift.
I have to say, overall, that I'm very satisfied with the 7060's performance so far. It seems natural in my hand, has great output, a durable feel, and intuitive design. I think this is going to become a very popular light in the LE community, a new standard even. :twothumbs
I'd love to hear what others on the street have to say about it. I know my review isn't exactly quantitative in nature, but I hope it sheds some light (no pun intended :naughty
on field use of this tool.
