"SOS" mode: silly or not?

\"SOS\" mode: silly or not?

I've seen a few lights now that have a mode where they flash out a real slow SOS, repeatedly.

Anyone think that is anything other than a useless and silly gimmick, given that the same lights already have slow and fast strobe modes? Is there any possibility that an SAR operation looking for a person will investigate a slow, slow SOS, but won't investigate a steady flashing light? Even a repeated triple flash would make more sense.

I think I'd rather get rid of the SOS mode. It's just a useless mode cluttering up the flashlight.

Re: \"SOS\" mode: silly or not?

Personally, I think its a 'nice to have' feature on a light, especially an emergency light. But like you said, Paul if there are other flashing/strobe modes, then yes, it'll be quite redundant.

But then again, say for example in a scenario where I am lost out in the bushes, and while the SAR teams are looking for me, i see a low flying plane in the area, and presumably the pilot knows nothing of the lost hiker... me. Having a SOS flash function would not only get his attention, and assuming that he understands the SOS in morse, he would know that someone there needs assistance. As compared to having my lights flash/strobe meaninglessly, he might just pass on by, thinking its just some hiker(s) having some fun with their lights or such. Anyway, how do you mean slow SOS signal, so far the SOS signals I've seen on my Eternalights seem to be blinking at a pretty decent rate. If anything I'd rather get rid of the strobe and the dazzle function on my eternalight to replace those functions with something else, like a last used brightness setting or something.

Re: \"SOS\" mode: silly or not?

i think a certain code should be kept. e.g. the flashing front and backlights of a (mountain-)bike could confuse in the mountains.

on the other hand there are emergency strobes which are not sending a code but constant flashes.

the alpine emergency signal is at least in europe:
give six signals per minute, pause then repeat.
reply - three signals per minute, pause then repeat.

Re: \"SOS\" mode: silly or not?

Funny, when I showed my Arc4 to a flight engineer today, the first thing he asked was 'Does it have a SOS blink mode?' He is not interested in flashlights at all, but thought that an expensive looking light would come with such features.

Re: \"SOS\" mode: silly or not?

The Inova 24/7 I bought as a substitute for a roadside flare has an SOS mode, but I don't think it's particularly slow.

Along with it's other modes, the 24/7 has probably been my most entertaining flashlight purchase...a veritable "light show"....

JB

Re: \"SOS\" mode: silly or not?

IIRC learning Morse code was no longer a requirement for military operators as it is no longer used? If I'm wrong I aplogise. However, it would seem that paulr has a point given that you are either lost (in which case rescuers are looking for you and would most likely check out ANY flashes) or you are attempting to attract someone's attention by use of a flashlight which in probability will get ignored whatever sequence it flashes.

Doug

Re: \"SOS\" mode: silly or not?

Morse code will probably be totally forgotten in about 20 - 40 years, or about 1.5 generations. Rather than a steady blinking, perhaps a fast strobe followed by a delay, then repeat, would attract attention. The strobe would, at least to my eye, imply urgency.

What would the Coast Guard be most likely to respond to when searching for someone at sea? Is there some type of standard for light beacons used for search and rescue?

Re: \"SOS\" mode: silly or not?

For me it would have negative value if it is one more mode/level that I have to scroll through to get to the one I want. I feel the same way about more than three output levels, more *reduces* the utility of the light.

Re: \"SOS\" mode: silly or not?

Hello Paul,

'' '-- '- ''' --- '-' '' --' '' -' '- '-'' '-'' -'--
--' --- '' -' --' - --- ''' '- -'-- - '''' '- - ''
- ''' --- ''- --' '''' - - '''' '- - -- --- '-' ''' '
-'-' --- -'' ' '-- '- ''' '- '''- ' '-' -'--
'''- '- '-'' ''- '- -''' '-'' ' - '''' '' '- --' - ---
'''' '- '''- ' '''' '- '-' -'' '-- '' '-' ' -'' '' -'
'- ''-' '-'' '- ''' '''' '-'' '' --' '''' - '-'-'-

However, I think the flashlight manufactures should look to the future and think about incorporating an emergency personal locator beacon instead.

I can tell you that if I saw a strobe light on the water, I would not pay much attention to it. If I saw an S O S on the water, I would do my best to render assistance.

It is difficult to mistake the S O S signal, even if it is partially obscured. There are also several "natural" sources of "strobe" lights. Leaves in the wind, ripples on the water, people traveling through the woods, etc. That is not to say that a strobe from a flashlight (depending on power) would be confused, but it could happen.

I should also say that during outdoor activities, we have used the S O S signal for a variety of things. The main intention is to signal the fact that someone is in distress. It could be something as simple as someone twisting their ankle during a night hike and needing help back to camp.

The bottom line is that I feel that it is both a gimmick and a useful tool.

Tom

P.S. I found a Morse Code font here.

Re: \"SOS\" mode: silly or not?

I don't agree with the prime position SOS is occupying. First/most used spot should be lock-out mode.

the silly part is where it's located on the menu.

Re: \"SOS\" mode: silly or not?

I've got an Inova 24/7. I don't even know what the strobe positions are used for and if I saw one flashing far off in the woods I wouldn't know if someone was asking for help or not. If I saw a Morse SOS signal I'd definitely check it out, having learned what it means many years ago as a boy scout.

To me a strobe is just a bunch of visual noise. An SOS is clearly a signal.

Re: \"SOS\" mode: silly or not?

[ QUOTE ]
PhotonBoy said:
Morse code will probably be totally forgotten in about 20 - 40 years, or about 1.5 generations. Rather than a steady blinking, perhaps a fast strobe followed by a delay, then repeat, would attract attention. The strobe would, at least to my eye, imply urgency.

What would the Coast Guard be most likely to respond to when searching for someone at sea? Is there some type of standard for light beacons used for search and rescue?

[/ QUOTE ]

Gee, I guess the millions of Amateur Radio operators that use Morse didn't get the memo that it's no longer used.

Actually, the military DOES still use it as does a whole bunch of other countries especially for covert operations.

Re: \"SOS\" mode: silly or not?

While its well and true that Morse might be phased out eventually, but the SOS code is not something that's hard to remember. ... --- ... is all there is to it, and it would serve well for anyone to recognise it just as easily even if not for themselves, but there might come a day when someone else needs help and you notice it yourself. My vote says leave the SOS mode on, throw out the other fancy functions (except for dimmable)... and a PLB would be a huge plus too, but that's another discussion altogether...

Re: \"SOS\" mode: silly or not?

If someone had something that only had to be used once in a million times but was easy to remember and use, weighed nothing, took up no space and never got in the way, was a virtually no cost added option/extra feature, could not only attract attention but the right kind of attention from millions of people worldwide, and would probably save my life, would I want it? Uh, yeah, you betcha.

Morse code ain't dead yet and even so virtually everyone, including the braindead kid I have to work with today, knows what an S.O.S. means and what to do when they see it.

I'm sorry for being a grumpy old fart, but the logic behind an arguement for not wanting something like this at next to no cost escapes me. I could think of tons of software options to dump before I would program something in the place of an S.O.S. option. Maybe I wouldn't want the signal as a first option on a light, but I sure want it there. Heck, many members on this forum carry many pounds of EDC stuff, and think nothing of it, and this weighs nothing. Why not?

Re: \"SOS\" mode: silly or not?

It is definately silly. How could anyone that couldn't send an SOS possibly be expected to remember how to put his light into SOS MODE?

Re: \"SOS\" mode: silly or not?

Sub Umbra.....I don't know if you're kidding or not, but it's a lot easier to let the light do it for you than to have to have to keep pressing a button for hours or days on end.

Re: \"SOS\" mode: silly or not?

[ QUOTE ]
dougmccoy said:
IIRC learning Morse code was no longer a requirement for military operators as it is no longer used?


[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
photonboy said:What would the Coast Guard be most likely to respond to when searching for someone at sea? Is there some type of standard for light beacons used for search and rescue?

[/ QUOTE ]

It's true. . . morse code is no longer a requirement for pilots or other "regular" military personnel. In fact, Coast Guard Radioman A-School no longer teaches the code even to those that were most likely to use it, and the USCG no longer maintains a morse code watch on marine distress frequencies. Ditto for military pilots. . . morse code is no longer part of the training. That said, the "SOS" signal is one of the most widely recognized signals around today, even among those don't know morse code.
When I was searching for somebody or something by air, any flashing light would draw my attention. Remember, lifevests have (albeit weak) lights, and many rafts are equipped with strobe lights that do not use the SOS signal. If I was searching in an area with a lot of flashing lights, chances are the person could attract attention from other nearby persons, but would normally be checked out anyway. In remote areas, the flashing light is a big help, SOS signal or not. So, if you're going to have a flashing light, "SOS" is at least as good as anything else. But there's a good chance that in an air search, the light may not stay in view long enough for the searcher to say it is an "SOS". That's why we check out any signal we think might be an attempt to attract our attention.


[ QUOTE ]
photonian said:Gee, I guess the millions of Amateur Radio operators that use Morse didn't get the memo that it's no longer used.

Actually, the military DOES still use it as does a whole bunch of other countries especially for covert operations.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not sure how many amateur radio operators there are in the world, but there about 700,000 here in the US. Only about half are actually active. Right now, most know morse code, but it may interest some of you to know that morse code is no longer required for an entry level ham radio license in the US and many other countries, so it's decline is probably inevitable. Can't say anything about "covert operations" or "special forces". . . although morse is especially well suited to small, simple radios, and low power transmitters, so it would not surprise me that these guys still use it.

Bottom line. . . if it's included free and doesn't detract from other features, it's probably still useful, IMHO.

Re: \"SOS\" mode: silly or not?

I made an interesting observation several years ago one night while gazing off into the "wilderness" of the San Bernadino Mountains near Big Bear Lake, CA. Several people disappear in those mountains every year, by the way. I thought, wow, there's a surprising number of little lights up there in the blackness: some blinking, some steady, some red, some white, but none of 'em were going "... - - - ..." . I said to myself, "Self, if I were looking for a lost or injured person up there in the those mountains, would I start with a little light that was blinking SOS, or would I check out all those other curious little lights first??" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thinking.gif

When I head into those mountains, I now carry a light with me (ARC4+) that sends SOS.

Re: \"SOS\" mode: silly or not?

The next time you drive say, 30 miles from your house (not a long or uncommon drive), look at the number of places you could go off the road and not be seen from the road. OK, suppose that you've had a wreck and you are trapped. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/str.gif

Your vehicle is down an embankment and nobody can see you. You went through some overgrown shrubs before you slid down, so no one can tell a vehicle has gone off the road. You can't reach the cell phone and the car is so badly damaged that the battery is trashed -- no horn, no lights. Thankfully, the gas tank is intact so you aren't doused in fuel but you are still stuck. This is a not too uncommon type of wreck. Can't happen to you because you're too good a driver? Why do you think they call them accidents. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mpr.gif

The S.O.S. feature doesn't sound silly now, right? And if you ski, hike, climb, camp, etc., what reason would you have for not wanting to have this feature? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

Re: \"SOS\" mode: silly or not?

then a crazy racoon see,s the flashlng light he bites ya and steals the light. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif