EMT/Paramedic Light

Hey guys,

Searched and found several posts on this question, but all of them were looking for something with more lumens.

I would prefer one light that has a low enough output to be used to check pupils, as well as have a high enough output to be useful outdoors.

So far I've looked at Preons and Quarks... any other suggestions?

Check out the Surefire LX2.. It has a two mode tail cap. Light press for low to check pupils in a hurry. Hard press in for high mode.
The only ONLY thing I dislike about the LX2 is the amount of twists it takes for the tail cap to turn the light on to constant on (high mode). Not a problem for low mode..

i'd say a quark and get the prism kit (R2 models still come with a free prism) so you can use it hands free also when needed.

the zebralight sc50w would also be another good choice with it's moon mode, and it comes with a headband.

For checking pupils: any of the AAA lights that starts on low will do.

For everything else: a Zebralight H501, or if you can wait, the up-coming H51. This light can be worn on your head, your shirt, or your belt for hand free use. The floody beam will light up a small area in front of you so can see your surrounding and avoid potential dangers. Many times you will be carrying your gear bag in one hand and need the other hand free to open doors, reach for the victim, etc. Can't do that if you are holding a flashlight with the other hand.

4Sevens Preon 2... Use it all the time in the ER on low to check pupils and oropharynx and high is plenty bright on scene.

I second the Preon 2. It is an amazing light. It always turns on in low mode so you wont blind your patients. Also the bright is EXTREMELY bright, and the beam is flawless and very floody and definately possible of lighting up an entire scene. It also has a strobe mode to alert traffic of an accident. The price is also very affordable. One of my favorite lights.

ResQTech said:

4Sevens Preon 2... Use it all the time in the ER on low to check pupils and oropharynx and high is plenty bright on scene.

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Exactly what I wanted to hear... now to choose a color! :thumbsup:

i'd go for the warm white model then, since it will render flesh tones better.

Ragiska said:

i'd go for the warm white model then, since it will render flesh tones better.

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That's a good suggestion, and I imagine warm white would be easier on the patients' eyes.

well, it renders skin colors better. with cool white, skin looks pale and blood deprived. with neutral/warm, it looks vibrant and alive, and important things like petechiae are much more apparent, and can be more accurately accessed.

Looks like you've settled on the Preon, but if you would prefer a different form factor and/or different battery type, look at the Quark Tactical, either in AA or CR123. You program two modes, a low and a high, that are accessed by loosening or tightening the bezel. These can go even lower than the Preon, but are also brighter on high.

Paramedic here. I'm using a Solarforce L2 with a Nailbender SST-50 drop-in. I use it on wreck scene's and dimly lit houses (which we frequently go in). Way to much to be checking pupils. Anyway. Even the R2 drop-in would be okay.

A SkyRay R5 would be a pretty decent light. Again, way to bright for checkin pupils.

Just ordered a warm white Preon 2.

Great advice, thanks again everyone!

lovecpf

Good choice with the ww Prion. I'm also a medic who purchased a ww cr2 mini. Have only used it on a couple calls but from what I've seen, the ww is the way to go.

Hi!

Warm white Preon 2 is a good choice.
But, IMO, it does have a problem that it shares with almost every LED light when it comes to checking pupils.

Se my post:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/3398490&postcount=60

and for a pic:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/3398720&postcount=65

I have put a plastic cap on the front in wich I have drilled a hole about 6,5 or 7 mm. The cap is the sort that you put on the metall tube legs of a chair.
They are made for tubesize 14mm. It was a bag of 8 and it took some of them the find the right holesize and to center it. Not wery beautyful but works well, the beam looks about the same as Fortelux with aprox the same output on low. I'm sure somebody can make a better looking solution if wanted.
I have my light at work and can not post a pic now but I can fix that in a day or two if asked for.

Look I really have to say that until you compare a High-CRI LED to the others, you don't see how altered biological tissue colours are when you use low CRI LEDs. I use a Seoul P4 high-CRI in a twostage (5/50 lumens) Q3. Works just great in the hospital. For outside, I use all sorts of higher-power LEDs as CRI doesn't trouble me so much and there is LOTS of light on offer. I really should take some photos to see if the difference for, say, central cyanosis is reproducible.
ALL that said, the ICU has backups of the backups for power supplies, so it is never dark, really.

In my law enforcement thread.. the Quark 123^2 Turbo was recommended. You can have two modes, turbo and another.. program it to Moonlight mode (0.2 lumens) or Low (4 lumens).

http://www.4sevens.com/product_info.php?cPath=297_306&products_id=1654

Instead of having a pen light that's also bright enough to use for work, get a tactical light that's dim enough for work. Battery life would be far superior as well.

Also:
iTP A3.. 1.5 lumens (50 hours), 18 lumens, 80 lumens (1 hour). keychain light
http://www.olights.com/product_info.php?products_id=44

My wife is a nurse at U of M so I bought her one of the WW Preon 2. Great beam, color, and levels, now if I could only get her to use it. She's afraid she'll drop it something nasty and not be able to clean it, so I guess I have a new light unless she changes her mind.
A Chapstick cap fits to make a nice diffuser, and it will carry virtually unnoticed in a pen pocket. $43

I'm a medic and have used a Quark 123^2 neutral tactical with a recessed tail switch for a long time. It clips in my pants pocket reliably and has 2 programmable modes. I have mine set for turbo/low. I have dropped it many times, it looks like it's been through a war, but has never failed me.

The Quark Turbo looks nice for a belt, but the wider head may be uncomfortable clipped in a pants pocket. I'm thinking of getting one in a warm tint because it just looks like a great light.

I recently got an IluminaTi CA1 that runs on a AAA battery. It is amazing. It is smaller than the Preon, clips in my front pocket and looks like a pen is clipped in there. It is perfect for pupils on low, and is 115 lumens on high. It is very floody and is perfect indoors. If you leave the head twisted off, but close to the on position, you can cycle through the modes and leave it on momentarily at will by just squeezing it. Really cool.

Both lights can tail stand and can provide adequate lighting via ceiling bounce for those calls where the light switches don't work and everyone needs both hands.

For outside I still grab my Quark. If I could only buy one it would be the Quark as it is better outdoors, has a much longer run time, and is more stable tail standing if the surface it is on is bumped.

My IluminaTi is new, so I can't say how durable it is, but it is titanium and feels very sturdy. The Quark and I have a history, it is like a rock and I feel like I would be cheating on it if I got one of the newer ones with the newer LEDs.

BTW, whenever some co-worker goes to the store and gets a big Maglight LED or some other store brand that fits on their whacker belt I pull out my Quark that fits comfortably and almost flush in my pocket. It is always twice as bright as what they have. One guy had a Gladius-type light and the Quark still blew it out of the water, and with a better tint. They point out their light was only $15, and I dare them to drop it on the cement with mine and point out how they flinch.