Firefighter helmet light

Hi guys,

I'm looking for a light to mount to my helmet and because my current E2e has served me well (literally saved my dog), I thinking on staying with Surefire for my next purchase.

Here's the catch: The helmet mount will only accept a 6P/G2/9P/G3 form factor (width).

I was thinking on going with a G2/G3 (much lighter) then upgrading it to a higher output LED head, but after a bit of reading, it appears that because the material is Nitrolon, there'll be problems if the light is left on for an extended period of time. I suppose being in a hot and smokey environment won't help it, too. :candle:

Is the run time situation still a problem with the Nitrolon lights? Didn't SF switch to aluminum heads, though?

Thanks~

Brian

Streamlight ProPolymer LED comes to mind, it is Class 1, Div. 2 approved, waterproof, has impact and shock resistant frame & lens, has 7 LEDs, and uses 4 AAs for a 67 lumen, 155 hour runtime. It is meant for firefighter use, fits most helmet mounts, and if not it has its own optional helmet mount.

Hi Sabre,

I actually have taken a look at the ProPolymer at a show, but was hoping to look for a *brighter* light. The Streamlight Survivors we have clipped on our coats penetrate nicely, but the hot spot is rather small. I'm mainly looking for a light that can be mounted and be bright enough to free up both hands for tools, etc. without having another light.

Thanks~

EDIT- Or, perhaps I should stick with incandescent lighting, get a 9P, and get rechargables?

Just edited last post, they are 67 lumen, not 27. The Surefire G2L LED looks like a good choice too at 80 lumens, 12 hours runtime.
Edit: runtime at max: 5 hrs, rechargeables would be helpful

The G2 would be a good option but LED may not be. Most led modules give a lot of side spill that will turn a smokey enviroment into a white wall, a brighter light can do this to. The only led module I would suggest would be the malkoff M60LL because of its lower output, tighter beam patern with a reduced amount of spill, and you won't need to worrie about heat build-up.... I have never even felt my G2 get warm with this module after hours of use.

You saw ... This Link .... I guess ?

STREAMLIGHT Vantage C4 LED Tactical Helmet Light

Sold as a FireFighter helmet light.

MarketPlace/Dealers Corner/Foxintl seller.

It's recent.(7/30/08)
.

Personally, I'd go with a 9P/Malkoff. Yeah, the G3 will be lighter and although they aren't as strong (though they can be close) because of their elasticity they can actually be tougher in some ways then the metal frames. The G3 has to be made thicker and chunkier to be strong enough. Also they CAN crack at very low temperatures.

Seeing as it's a work tool, it's a no brainer.

Hi Brian
What mount are you using the Blackjack?

Thanks
John

brewmeister said:

Hi guys,

I'm looking for a light to mount to my helmet and because my current E2e has served me well (literally saved my dog), I thinking on staying with Surefire for my next purchase.

Here's the catch: The helmet mount will only accept a 6P/G2/9P/G3 form factor (width).

I was thinking on going with a G2/G3 (much lighter) then upgrading it to a higher output LED head, but after a bit of reading, it appears that because the material is Nitrolon, there'll be problems if the light is left on for an extended period of time. I suppose being in a hot and smokey environment won't help it, too. :candle:

Is the run time situation still a problem with the Nitrolon lights? Didn't SF switch to aluminum heads, though?

Thanks~

Brian

Click to expand...

I recommend a light with a smooth reflector or a collimating optic for firefighter usage.

Textured reflectors dissipate the light too much and the light 'splatter' illuminates the smoke more than it pierces it.

There are a large variety of 1" diameter lights on the market that should work with your existing mount.

Did you have a budget in mind?

Wow, thanks for all the suggestions! I'm planning on using the Blackjack (Surefire model--know any good dealers that stock 'em?) on my Cairns leather.

TooMany, I've looked at the Vantage and while it's a nice light, the output versus its cost just seems a tad bit too high for me.

I'm looking to spend around $40-50. This light might be activated for an extended period of time (incandescently), so this may be a factor in narrowing down light choices?

I really would like a 9p, but the price is a factor. Would the benefits of Aluminum outweigh Nitrolon considering the environment that I'll be operating in (rather hot)?

Also, just out of curiosity, will a Z46 head attatch to a P series body? Or if I want to change out heads, the M2 head is the only option? Are there any other benefits besides absorbing shock that would warrant a M2?

Thanks~

Brian

FoxyFury makes some headlamps made specifically to fit on firefighter helmets.
http://www.foxfury.com/products/index.htm#headlamps

brewmeister said:

I actually have taken a look at the ProPolymer at a show, but was hoping to look for a *brighter* light. The Streamlight Survivors we have clipped on our coats penetrate nicely, but the hot spot is rather small. I'm mainly looking for a light that can be mounted and be bright enough to free up both hands for tools, etc. without having another light.

Click to expand...

Take a look at the new streamlight super tac, it use the same reflector as survivor but much brighter.

Jzmtl, that looks like a very nice light, but it's a tad too large to mount to my helmet. :tinfoil:

Marduke, a rep was showing off their helmet band lights a couple weeks back and to be honest, I wasn't really impressed. It seemed to lack the reach that a *conventional* flashlight would have.

The reason why I'm looking at a SF offering is because I plan on carrying it in my bag for EDC. I have the E2e clipped in my pocket for small needs, but if I need something that can reach a bit further, I'd grab the larger light.

Do keep the suggestions coming!

Thanks~

Brian

brewmeister
If you need a Blackjack we have them coming in this week. Drop me a line and I can hook you up with the CPF discount.

Thanks
John

brewmeister said:

Wow, thanks for all the suggestions! I'm planning on using the Blackjack (Surefire model--know any good dealers that stock 'em?) on my Cairns leather.

TooMany, I've looked at the Vantage and while it's a nice light, the output versus its cost just seems a tad bit too high for me.

I'm looking to spend around $40-50. This light might be activated for an extended period of time (incandescently), so this may be a factor in narrowing down light choices?

I really would like a 9p, but the price is a factor. Would the benefits of Aluminum outweigh Nitrolon considering the environment that I'll be operating in (rather hot)?

Also, just out of curiosity, will a Z46 head attatch to a P series body? Or if I want to change out heads, the M2 head is the only option? Are there any other benefits besides absorbing shock that would warrant a M2?

Thanks~

Brian

Click to expand...

Don't FF's typically need/require more of a yellow light to cut through smoke better? As much as I love LED's they tend to light up smoke really well rather than cut through it. Don't they require you to have incandescent lights to help cut through the smoke? They have far more light in the yellow through red wavelengths as opposed to LED's which are high in Blue through yellow.

If I were running an LED light, I would go with the Surefire 9P with a Malkoff M60L that will certainly give you good runtime and a reliable module. If I really needed to save money the Solarforce L2 host with 1 extension tube. I would look into a yellow or amber filter over the front.

I don't fight fires and won't pretend that I do but I do a lot of shooting at the indoor range with the flashlights and I know that my flashlight lights up the smoke really well which is why I use a flashlight below the gun hold technique. If I or someone else shoots several rounds at once and then I light it up with the white LED flashlight, it lights up that smoke really well. Plus I have heard the same complaint from others that they need something in the amber tint to really cut through the smoke without seeing it light up so much in front of them.

why not considering a headlamp? on a helmet its beam is centered, & lower in profile. :shrug:

Sorry for the tardy response, guys.

JohnB, you have a PM inbound!

Mr. Gman, I have won a 9P off ebay for a nice price and will be running it for a while (at least the first set of batteries) too see how it performs in smoke. Reason why I am interested in LED's is because of the run time performance they provide. I may purchase a Lighthawk down the road, so that should be a nice addition. Also, I have done quite a bit of reading on Firehouse.com and for some reason, the general consensus is that LEDs are favored more than incandescents. I'm not sure if it's a manufactuer's technology (ie the "Recoil" light) or not, but LED's seems to be the trend that many FF's are heading in.

Then again, Lumen Factory's bulbs, add on rechargables, sounds like a winning combo...hmm.

Soreeyez, a headlamp might cause some interference with the goggles that I'll be using. This helmet light will be used on accidents, etc, and having a light that can turned into a handlight is pretty handy. With a helmet light, I can't do that when wood chocks are also strapped in place.

We have a local firefighter using a LumaPower D-Mini with a D-65 extender to run an 18650 that he swears by. Apparently the very deep, smooth relfector which gives the D-Mini such great throw also lends itself well to cutting through smoke. He's using one of those streamlight rubber bands to hold it on and can operate the clicky with gloves on which is apparently pretty important.

Most of the drop in replacements that will go into the Surefire or Solarforce hosts that take a D26 or P60 LED replacment have orange peel reflectors. The Malkoff has its own optic that smooths at the beam and actually isn't all that narrow (I love it but may not be the best beam pattern for this application).

So the question is what LED drop in modules are there for these hosts that have a smooth reflector, tight beam and run on 9V?

I have a G2 attached to the rubber strap with 2 Ty-raps has been on there a few years added a dealextreme drop in it's never on enough to worry about heat transfer. I use a standard head lamp more often when working a incident.