Atomic_Chicken
Enlightened
Greetings!
First off, please understand that I do not (yet) own a Gladius. I have every intention of obtaining one in the next two weeks though, and I've read almost everything publicly available on the internet regarding the Gladius and it's features.
OK... with that out of the way, on to the essence of this post.
I think the Gladius is innovative and groundbreaking. I think that the Gladius may be the finest attempt at producing a police/military tactical light that has yet reached the market, and probably THE finest available microprocessor controlled flashlight currently available at any price.
Nitchy. This is a small, nitchy market that while expanding, is still a nitchy market. For every soldier, SWAT team member or street cop with enough $$$ to afford this light, there are literally DOZENS of sportsmen who are looking for the perfect flashlight to take camping with them. Here are my suggestions to make a variation of the Gladius that will serve that market superbly.
First off, replace the disorientation "stun" setting with an emergency beacon. Make it tap out the morse code for "SOS" (which most of us know is "...---..."). Make it repeat this sequence over and over again at 5-10 second intervals until the battery dies. Place this setting as far away from the "lockout" position as possible, as it will not be used very often. Once it is active, make it adjustable brightness using the tailcap pushbutton as the brightness adjuster: hold it down to gradually increase the brightness from 50% to 100% (in 10% increments), while rapidly clicking the button will decrease the brightness step by step in the same intervals.
Second suggestion. Replace the ceramic finish with a molded 3/16" thick rubber tube with square ridges, similar to Inova's "T" series. Get the cost down... this thing needs to sell for close to $100 for "the rest of us" to afford it. Keep the square end flange, but make it part of the molded rubber casing instead of part of the metal. Think low cost... while retaining the ergonomic features and styling. While you're at it, make the flashlight stand "on-end" by extending the tailcap plastic around the pushbutton... this feature is ESSENTIAL for in-tent and around the table "lantern" use.
Third: make the first setting "ultra-bright" and non-adjustable. As soon as you turn the tailcap from the lockout position to the first available rotary position, make the light shine as BRIGHT as possible. Use the pushbutton control to turn this on/off, with no intermediary brightness changes. Sportsmen want a RAPIDLY accessible REALLY BRIGHT light available any time, anywhere - with the minimum hassle and fuss.
Finally, make the 2nd setting (between "sun bright" and "emergency") the flexible "battery saver" mode. This is used around the camp where there is already a fire going in the background and "ultimate scorching sun" mode is not required. This is used in the tent for lights out preparation, as a reading light, to find your way to the latrine without burning half a battery in the process... you get the idea. Make this mode adjustable from almost no light to maybe half light... push the button and hold for brighten, rapid press to incrementally dim... perhaps 5% increments between 5% and 50% would give a decent range.
Make it simple, make it cheap, make it foolproof. Give the minimum REALLY useful settings, while still taking advantage of the awesome flexibility of the Gladius microprocessor technology. Keep it waterproof and bright, but lose the ceramic baked ultra-svelt top-notch tactical trappings... I guarantee you will have a winner.
Best wishes,
Bawko
First off, please understand that I do not (yet) own a Gladius. I have every intention of obtaining one in the next two weeks though, and I've read almost everything publicly available on the internet regarding the Gladius and it's features.
OK... with that out of the way, on to the essence of this post.
I think the Gladius is innovative and groundbreaking. I think that the Gladius may be the finest attempt at producing a police/military tactical light that has yet reached the market, and probably THE finest available microprocessor controlled flashlight currently available at any price.
Nitchy. This is a small, nitchy market that while expanding, is still a nitchy market. For every soldier, SWAT team member or street cop with enough $$$ to afford this light, there are literally DOZENS of sportsmen who are looking for the perfect flashlight to take camping with them. Here are my suggestions to make a variation of the Gladius that will serve that market superbly.
First off, replace the disorientation "stun" setting with an emergency beacon. Make it tap out the morse code for "SOS" (which most of us know is "...---..."). Make it repeat this sequence over and over again at 5-10 second intervals until the battery dies. Place this setting as far away from the "lockout" position as possible, as it will not be used very often. Once it is active, make it adjustable brightness using the tailcap pushbutton as the brightness adjuster: hold it down to gradually increase the brightness from 50% to 100% (in 10% increments), while rapidly clicking the button will decrease the brightness step by step in the same intervals.
Second suggestion. Replace the ceramic finish with a molded 3/16" thick rubber tube with square ridges, similar to Inova's "T" series. Get the cost down... this thing needs to sell for close to $100 for "the rest of us" to afford it. Keep the square end flange, but make it part of the molded rubber casing instead of part of the metal. Think low cost... while retaining the ergonomic features and styling. While you're at it, make the flashlight stand "on-end" by extending the tailcap plastic around the pushbutton... this feature is ESSENTIAL for in-tent and around the table "lantern" use.
Third: make the first setting "ultra-bright" and non-adjustable. As soon as you turn the tailcap from the lockout position to the first available rotary position, make the light shine as BRIGHT as possible. Use the pushbutton control to turn this on/off, with no intermediary brightness changes. Sportsmen want a RAPIDLY accessible REALLY BRIGHT light available any time, anywhere - with the minimum hassle and fuss.
Finally, make the 2nd setting (between "sun bright" and "emergency") the flexible "battery saver" mode. This is used around the camp where there is already a fire going in the background and "ultimate scorching sun" mode is not required. This is used in the tent for lights out preparation, as a reading light, to find your way to the latrine without burning half a battery in the process... you get the idea. Make this mode adjustable from almost no light to maybe half light... push the button and hold for brighten, rapid press to incrementally dim... perhaps 5% increments between 5% and 50% would give a decent range.
Make it simple, make it cheap, make it foolproof. Give the minimum REALLY useful settings, while still taking advantage of the awesome flexibility of the Gladius microprocessor technology. Keep it waterproof and bright, but lose the ceramic baked ultra-svelt top-notch tactical trappings... I guarantee you will have a winner.
Best wishes,
Bawko
