SOS and Strobe

It has been interesting since joining the forum reading the comments about the SOS and Strobe functions on many of the LED lights. Now with Surefire adding this to two of their (what I consider ) most anticipated lights, the UA2 and UB2; I find myself thinking about these features more often.

It seems to me that most of the comments I've read by CPF'rs in general is they could do without them and most feel they just get in the way with most UI's. I have reserved comment on either feature unitil such time I thought I could comment intelengently. Right now the only thing I could say with certainty is I don't like having to cycle through the SOS mode on my P2D to get back to low, and I don't like once in a while accidently tapping the button on my P2D in turbo mode and activating the Strobe. So at present it looks like I'm a I don't need it and could do without it gumming up the works.

Now having said the above, I have given at least three LED lights away to non-flashaholics and all either at first or within days commented on how nice the strobe and the SOS features are. I mean they really thought they were cool. I wonder if they will ever actually have a real world use for these features or are these things truly just a marketing selling ploy. I haven't found a use yet and I question wether or not I'll ever be on the S.S. Minow.

Bill

I sympathize, but this is business. And customers seem to want strobe, in particular. I know some fellow LEOs that not only like strobes, but have supposedly used them to good effect. So, maybe there is something to it.

SOS might be somewhat useful in certain rare distress situations.

All in all, I neither buy a light for strobe/SOS, nor avoid them.

I don't know how useful strobe is. I've pointed it at myself in dark room before, while it's annoying it's no more disorienting than a blast from full power.

SOS is well, I duno, how many people today can actually recognize sos signals, provide they pay attention to it at first place? It may be useful if yo got people looking for you, but strobe probably is easier to notice than SOS.

I have a P2D and I like the SOS, strobe and the UI in general. In the daytime, if you want to be picked out of a crowd (my daughter saw me instantly in a sea of cars in the school parking lot after the dance) it's great. And at night? Wow. You put that sucker in someones face and I'm certain you'll find it very effective.

I like the strobe but don't think I'll ever need SOS. I've used strobe as an attention getter at a large gathering to let someone in our party know where we were. I can also see a use for it when broken down along side the road to warn passing traffic. Maybe not right in their face but flashing off the back of the car or something.

There have been other threads on this subject before.

I agree it would be extremely rare to ever really NEED the SOS . . . . but if you were a boater or a hiker or hunter or like in my area, a x-country skier and got into a survival situation . . . far fetched yes, but hey, it's there!

Oh, and just think of how handy it would have been for Jodie Foster in Panic Room or Tom Hanks in Castaway !:nana:

I think the strobe is just as good as the SOS. If you are lost and someone is looking for you and you fire off the strobe you will be VERY easy to see from plane or helicopter. Strobe can also be fun to play with in certain situations. I think SOS is not necessary if you have strobe. Also, as stated above, how many people know morse code? I just wish the strobe was a little slower on my Fenix light.

The problem may not be getting attention, but communicating distress, as opposed to "I'm playing with a strobing flashlight at the campsite!"

Generally, serious boaters and all pilots should recognize the SOS signal. Hunters and other outdoorsman may also understand the "three signals=distress."

I did a rescue of two guys in the desert (109F degrees) and they asked why one of my fellows didn't stop for them, even though they were on the road. I figured they probably didn't communicate the urgency of their situation in the seconds that he drove past. And it was shift change.

im with Lightraven on this one. As the saying goes, i would rather have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

further, as Doug Ritter says, there is nothing more frustrating then having rescue in sight, and no way to contact them, then watch them fly away.(not exact words, but roughly the idea) Odds are, rescue crews will know at least enough morse code to detect an SOS.

The likelyhood of my actually needing the SOS is low, but still, its a feature thats a plus in my book.

If i had to pick a light to travel into the wilderness or something, it would be one with an SOS.

THe ideal light would have a way of locking out the SOS...but for the moment, barring the invictus and optimus, i will stick to buying both multi mode lights, and dual/single mode lights.

Crenshaw

[babblemode]

...besides, I think it may have something to do with the processor having more room for a little bit more code that's not hard to add. Why not, as has been said - rather have it & not need it than to need it and not have it.

Believe me there are indeed many scenarios where that extra "photonic bling" comes in handy (especially up here in Alaska!).

I'm speculating the extra "bling/gadget factor" probably appeals to "Joe Average" citizen (Indiana Jones wannabes?) as well? :thinking: How many people really don't need a Hummer, but it's the "cool" thing to drive?

[/babblemode]

I would bet an extremely large majority of humans know SOS and/or "3" for distress. Yes the strobe would get attention, probably a lot because (at least on the Fenix) it's done at the turbo mode. However, the SOS is done at the high mode and would last longer.

So it's longer lasting AND has great taste! :twothumbs

Both SOS and strobe are annoying. Give me high and low, with no memory.

Sigman said:

[babblemode]

I'm speculating the extra "bling/gadget factor" probably appeals to "Joe Average" citizen (Indiana Jones wannabes?) as well? :thinking: How many people really don't need a Hummer, but it's the "cool" thing to drive?

[/babblemode]

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It's no Alaska but I sure wish I had a Hummer today!

I like the strobe. I have used the Gladius strobe to blast dimwits in the parking lot who don't see me in the dark, and to repel the neighbor's attacking chihuahua.

No person in the history of humanity has ever used the SOS function on an EDC light in a real "save our ship" emergency, so I proclaim it to be a waste of space.

right on

Vermonter73 said:

Both SOS and strobe are annoying. Give me high and low, with no memory.

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+1

There's been many threads on this before and many opinions. I think there has even been a poll on it. Those who don't like the strobe or SOS have tended to be quite vocal about it. I've even delved into the possible reasons including psychological reasons why some hate it. Either way you have choices to buy or not to buy it with these functions. IMO I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it - that basic survivalist mindset is where many come from and in a lot of lights it's not in the way or something you have to cycle through. It always somewhat irritates me that those who don't want these functions would try to influence manufacturers here into leaving them out so that those of us who do want them can't have them. If you don't want them just buy something else or get a light where the strobe and SOS are not something you have to cycle through to get to options you want - simple as that - but don't try to keep us from having a light we want. And as far as SOS not being important I consider it on the same level as a signal mirror in a survival kit except it's useable at night rather than day. If SOS and strobe were actually so unlikeable than I don't think Fenix would be such a huge success with their lights. And HDS and Novatac are some of the most popular lights around and now Surefire is even getting into the use of them. It's a trend that is going to be hard to fight - I say make Strobe and SOS mandatory on all lights :nana:

Yes, there are lots of threads on this topic and a search will turn up polls and comments.

Upshot of the whole deal is this -- let's say you are back country skiing and well off any marked trail and 'cause you're way too cool, you didn't let anyone know where you were going, just when you were going to be back. You caught a ski tip, did a face plant into one of those trees you knew you couldn't possibly hit, and to make things totally wicked, you have fallen part way into a spruce hole. OK, the pain is exquisite and out here it's got you to the point where you cannot move much at all. You can hear the ski patrol but that broken rib makes yelling out of the question. There are lots of flashlights out there shining around and winking and blinking in between the trees. All those lights are very confusing to the rescuers. At this point wouldn't you like a light with an SOS feature built in?

SOS is such a distinctive feature that even if you do not know what the signal means in Morse Code, it still attracts attention. Strobes or blinking lights can be like car alarms in a busy parking lot -- people hear the alarms all the time but no one does anything. So, is that blinking light just another marker light on a tower? Is it just another search team moving in between trees? Maybe a flashing light would get attention but maybe not. An SOS is a definite pattern and attracts attention.

The feature adds no weight. A lot of lights have the feature as part of a UI that doesn't get in the way of normal operation. Using the feature is pretty easy even of the tree you hit has you concussed. At any rate that's my thoughts on the topic. I do not mind having a light with the feature but it's your call.

matrixshaman said:

- that basic survivalist mindset is where many come from and in a lot of lights it's not in the way or something you have to cycle through.

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My NiteCore DI came to mind when I read this. It has strobe but no SOS. To me, it's out of the way enough that I've forgotten it's there and had to think a second once to remember how to activate it. It's rarely done by accident, is out of the way, and there's never a need to 'cycle' through it. This is great programing and the way it should be whenever possible.

My thoughts on strobes and SOS are completely related to the UI. If the only light I'd ever owned was an HDS, I'd never complain about strobes or SOS. If the only light I'd ever owned was a Gladius, I'd never complain about strobes -- in fact, in this case both the UI and the intended use support the presence of strobe, it would be a weaker light without strobe combined with the UI. Same argument goes for lights like the upcoming Optimus.

It's when you put specialty features like strobes and SOS on lights with cumbersome UIs that force you to click-through or otherwise be aware of those modes, that it becomes a pain. Obviously, there are a raft of lights that do so. And these modes seem to be so seldomly used by so few people, that we wonder why it makes sense to include them, considering the irritation it causes the rest.

In any case, I think the reaction to strobe and SOS on some upcoming lights with well-done UIs is mis-placed, since hopefully with those UIs you won't notice those features. In particular, I feel consternation about a tactical-style strobe on a tactical light is particularly misplaced -- strobes of the right frequency with the right UIs are a reasonable feature on a light meant for LEO/military/civilian-defensive use. If I pick up an OPtimus or Invictus, I have no intention of using SOS, but I'm hoping that, like on my HDS, I never even need to know it's there; I'm also glad there is a strobe mode, given my intended use.