LED on duty

I work the late shift and most of my patrol is in the dark and this leads to my question.Is there a rechargeable led that is fit for the needs of patrol duty.I love my Commander 8ax for the throw and hot spot however the pure white led can light up my entire field of vision.I need an led that will hold a charge for an 8 hour shift with the brightness to feel safe walking up on a vehicle on a traffic stop.My friend and fellow member Owen just recieved a new led light made for a single 123 cell...I think it is a TW4...it can also be ran with 2 cells and the way it lights up the entire room is great.I like the entire field of view but the batteries and runtime would be a problem.I may keep my Surefire Commander and get a large led for room searches but was just curious if any one else uses an LED for their primary duty light and if so what model?

You might want to wait for the KL7 to hit the marked. This will be an LED upgrade for your existing 8AX with a 5W LED. There are no specs out to the puplic yet, but I would not expect it to have a lower output than the X80 in your 8AX.

I have bough myself a L4 (this is basically an E2e with the KL4 LED Bezel/5W). SureFire claims 65 Lumens for that, but one KL4 that was tested by Gransee (Moderator in the ARC Forum) had a result about 80 Lumens. That's about what I would expect mine to have.
Totally replaced my M2 as my primary "tactical" light on my Duty Belt.
I'm also anciously awaiting the KL7 to come out to upgrade my own 8AX.
Those now, high power LED Lights fit the bill for Police work if you ask me /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Holger

P.S.: There are also the L5 and L6 expected to be released this year... Somebody promote me, so I earn more money /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif

Thanks for your reply Holger and yes I also am beginning to think the led is the future of lighting.I am curious to know how this KL7 head would be on these b-90 batteries.I realize run time would be longer but the output and throw is the question.I love my 8AX and have had Surefire send me several spare batteries and 3 new lamps.All of these were free as I had called and said I was having a minor problem with my light.Their customer service was very great to me and I will continue to use their lights.I will wait for this KL7 and keep you posted....
It is also good to hear from a fellow officer even if we are worlds apart...be safe

Robocop,

I think I would get a Streamlight Twintask 3D if I were you. You will have the entire field of view option with two settings of LEDs, and if you need to spotlight something further away, you will have the xenon at the ready. Best of all, if the xenon goes 'poof' on you, you have LED backups, for what it's worth.

I have a Streamlight ProPolymer 4AA which lights up my entire field of view and would easily last the 8 hours. The 3C model lights up an even wider field and lasts a lot longer of course. If you go this route, maybe a Scorpion xenon would be a good idea for the small spotlight option... Still, the idea of having it all in one package is appealing...

I've been using the Elektrolumens Blaster V for quite a while now. I love it. It has outstanding throw, color and a nice heft too. Some may think it is too heavy. I was trained with a 5 cell Mag, so it's virtually the same weight and size and is what I'm used to. The only improvement is a sleeve for holding it under my arm during interviews. I still carry a 8AX on my belt for a backup light.

Guys, don't get me wrong, but I would not recommend the Twin Task or the Electrolumens Blaster for Duty use. While the Blaster might be more a thing of personal preference (because I for myself would consider it too heavy and bulky for use with a handgun), the Twin Task could easily be dangerous for an officer. AFAIK this light is activated by a "circle mode" meaning it cycles through the modes by a certain pattern. I would not feel comfortable with a light that virtually does what it wants instead of doing what I want it to do.
A Duty light should be fail proof and simple, so one understands using it by spine. There is nothing better than a tailcap switch IMHO.
Just some thoughts...
Holger

Very good suggestions and I will continue to research my ortions.I was also thinking that I do not have to have a rechargeable.With 123 batteries as cheap as they are now the idea of a lithium 3 cell 123 light is also an option.I was so impressed with my friends TW4 that I am also thinking of keeping my 8AX for when I need distance and buying the smaller TW4 or other (2 cell 123)for field of view or room searches.I could fit both on my belt and like the idea of having both.I have read much on the Pelican PM6 and may consider this light also if I can get it in an led model.I am sure someone here has already modded one and I just like the looks of it.Anyway thank you all for your help and suggestions.

Take a look at this:

http://www.streamlight.com/sl20xp_led-3cxp_info.htm

Since I carry my PILA GL4R on duty all the time and have my 8NX as a back up I will get the KL7 when it is available.
It took 4 seperate shipments of replacement batteries from Surefire to get a set that holds a charge.

If the KL7 has a run time of anything over 2 hrs at full brightness it will be a worthwhile investment

I was also upset,at first,with my crappy b-90 batteries but Surefire sent me several free pairs and 2 free lamp modules.Their service was excellent and the man I spoke with at surefire(Ed Reynolds)assured me all officers would be well taken care of as we make up a large part of his bussiness.I will continue to use their products as their customer service never let me down.I also loved my streamlight but the looks of the commander won me over.My streamlight proved itself several times with several years of charging and heavy use and it never let me down.I do like the light above(SL20XP)and that is a very nice feature to have both type of bulbs.The rechargeable one is a little large but I may have to learn to live with this if I want a quality LED in a rechargeable package.My friend Owen is thinking of purchasing a Pila and I am going to try this light and see how I like it.There are so many good lights out now that the whole thing is a little confusing.I do not mind spending money on a good light as I believe a light is like a duty weapon to an officer.When you pull it you want it to work and work well as your life may depend on it one day.Money should be no concern when it comes to your duty tools you use in patrol.I will continue my search for the "perfect light" and I thank you all for your input.