Blinky modes - Have you ever needed them?

Have you ever needed an emergency blinky mode?

  • No - they've been worthless to me.

    Votes: 51 64.6%
  • Yes - I've needed them

    Votes: 24 30.4%
  • I don't have any lights with these modes

    Votes: 4 5.1%

  • Total voters
    79

Amelia

Enlightened
Joined
Mar 25, 2015
Messages
677
Most modern flashlight have various strobes, beacons, SOS signals, and other "blinky modes". My question is whether or not anyone here has ever NEEDED any of these - as in a real emergency. Playing around and showing friends doesn't count.
 

funkychateau

Enlightened
Joined
Apr 6, 2009
Messages
274
Location
Dallas, Texas, USA
They are useful as attention-getters. When you drop someone off at a crowded shopping center, and then have to park and wait for them, a brief burst of strobe when they come out gets them to look straight at you and see the car. Otherwise, with headlights everywhere, they look all over the place and never see you.
 

Berneck1

Enlightened
Joined
Feb 14, 2012
Messages
509
Never used them in a real situation. The chances of anyone really needing them are very remote. I prefer lights that have these modes buried or don't have them at all.

One mode I think could be very useful is beacon if you're lost somewhere and people are searching for you...


Sent from my iPhone using Candlepowerforums
 

twistedraven

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 22, 2014
Messages
1,810
I've never once needed them. For locational purposes, I think shining the high-mode of the flashlight works just as well as having a strobe or SOS, and for defensive purposes, I've found that shining the bright mode of the flashlight works just as well as Strobe (not that I've warded off countless offenders with a flashlight in the first place.)

I wish companies would rid of them and streamline the number of modes for their UIs. Nitecore takes it to ridiculous cheesy levels and has blue/red flashy modes.
 

recDNA

Flashaholic
Joined
Jun 2, 2009
Messages
8,761
Yes, the reason in kind of funny...my mom has very poor hearing so I flash strobe in the window to get her attention.
 

Woods Walker

The Wood is cut, The Bacon is cooked, Now it’s tim
Joined
Jun 8, 2008
Messages
5,433
Location
New England woods.
I once used strobe mode to disorientate an attacking bear allowing me to escape. Well actually I just lied. Put me in for NO.
 

Capolini

Banned
Joined
Aug 4, 2013
Messages
5,945
Location
Valley Forge, Pa.
YES!

I still have One[1] road walk w/ Capo my Siberian. The rest are on hiking trails which sometimes have different challenges,,,,,,people walking or riding a bike w/ NO LIGHTS!,I started a separate thread on that. "THE CLASHING WORLDS OF ILLUMINATION AND DARKNESS"!

Anyway,back to my only road walk.It is on a dirt road,hilly, curvy, dark and not too many cars,,,,but there are some! As soon as I see/hear a car I activate strobe and point it to the ground for a few seconds.

Believe me it works, helps and I am convinced it has saved me from injury or worse. People are going to notice an intermittent/flashing light much better than a beam of light sometimes mistaken as a motorcycle or a car w/ One head light!

I enjoy this and do it 7 nights a week for 65 to 85 minutes depending on the trail.:D IF you live in a condo and get a Husky,,,,,you better exercise it! This benefits both of us!

So, YES,,,,,I am one of the few who use it and have posted info like this 4 or 5 times on these forums when the topic comes up!

I will also say that some of my modded lights no longer have strobe. So what I do is wave the light vigorously from side to side. Not AS effective but still gets the job done! I much rather press a button!

EDIT: I have come to the realization that very few if any people on here use their lights in the capacity that I do. Not many 7 X ~75min/Night Dog walkers! ;) That is why STROBE is useless to them!


Below is the gentleman who TURNED me into a FLASAHOLIC!!


Capo%20Dog%20Park%202015%20012_zpsja0pc8pl.jpg

Capo-Spring2011007_zpsd758aa80.jpg
 
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markr6

Flashaholic
Joined
Jul 16, 2012
Messages
9,258
Never. If I did need a strobe to get attention, I think wiggling it back and forth a few seconds would be enough. That would free up another mode and declutter the UI. Or just leave it out and be done. Either way would be OK with me.
 

markr6

Flashaholic
Joined
Jul 16, 2012
Messages
9,258
All the blinking lights I have are too bright for biking. I try to get dedicated bike lights to go along with traffic. For example, my Fenix PD32UE strobe? LOL no way! Someone having a seizure would run me down. Same with most others I can think of.
 

chuckhov

Enlightened
Joined
Feb 11, 2009
Messages
621
Location
Florida, AKA God's Waiting Room
What Mark said.


Mark... I have a New Fenix BC30 coming tomorrow!

It's "Neutral White", so I will have to see wait and see just what tint Fenix considers to be so:) - 2X XM-L2, 2X 18650.

Have a Great Nite,

-Chuck
 

thedoc007

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 16, 2013
Messages
3,632
Location
Michigan, USA
I haven't ever NEEDED them, but I have used strobe quite a few times. As funkychateau pointed out, it is very good at grabbing attention. There are plenty of places where there are bright lights all around, so merely having a powerful light does not guarantee you will stand out. Strobe, though, catches the eye like nothing else. Even in a brightly lit and busy area, it is an unmistakeable signal.

I agree that strobe should not be part of the regular mode cycle, but it is a useful feature, and it should be easy to access when needed. Choice is a good thing! As long as they aren't in the way, you never have to use them...but why deliberately limit the versatility of a light just because you haven't yet had the occasion to use it?
 

Snareman

Enlightened
Joined
Mar 10, 2011
Messages
433
One time I used it in a parking lot to signal my parents other than that I'm a big NO. I don't mind them being there if they are at least hidden.
 

kj2

Flashaholic
Joined
May 22, 2010
Messages
8,082
Location
The Netherlands
I do use it some times. To signal when I walk with the dog, next to the road or in combination with a traffic wand. Blinky modes should be hidden though.
 
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G. Scott H.

Enlightened
Joined
Jan 20, 2015
Messages
202
Location
Arizona
When I'm in the mood to get funky and dance, I turn off all the lights in my house, crank up some Bieber on the stereo, blow a whole bunch of vapor from my e-cig out into the room, then flip on the strobe mode on my edc light. Good times! :cool:

Actually, I find blinky modes absolutely useless. A light having a blinky mode is not a deal breaker, since I can just ignore it (most times), but I'd never select a light with such a mode if I could get the same light without it.
 

Capolini

Banned
Joined
Aug 4, 2013
Messages
5,945
Location
Valley Forge, Pa.
A few more things that I find to be TRUE and are very unlikely to change.

1. Threads like this[done before] are very predictable. MOST people could care less about the "Blinky modes"!

2. Many lights will continue to have them.

3. For those not interested in BLINKY MODES and would like them "HIDDEN", some lights may have this. ALL lights with BLINKY MODES will NEVER be entirely hidden. That reason is for people like me! Taking that extra 2 or 3 seconds to find HIDDEN STROBE can be detrimental to ones health w/ a car coming around a blind curve in the dark!

A few years ago I was using my M22. The situation was just as I described..a car approaching a blind curve[obviously in the dark]! To activate strobe you had to do 3 quick twists at the tail cap OR One full press, 3 half presses and another full press to activate strobe! Not easy to do w/ a dog occupying One arm,especially the tail cap twisting method!

I ended up turning the light off and Capo and I jumped in the woods! The TK75vn[hold/press] TN31 mb,K40vn are simple..Strobe is just on the other side of "stand by" which is just on the other side of max!
 
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recDNA

Flashaholic
Joined
Jun 2, 2009
Messages
8,761
I would have jumped too but why turn off light? BTW, buy a little blinky light for dog collar! It could save his life.
 
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