GALLS H.A.L.O. TACTICAL LIGHT: A light with real promise ultimately disappoints

This is a rather strongly opinionated review, so please bear with me.

GALLS H.A.L.O TACTICAL light
SIZE: 5" x 7/8" (body) x 1 ¼ " (Bezel)
WEIGHT: 5.1 oz (with batteries)
POWER: 2x123
ON/OFF: Push/turn (no lock-out)
FOCUS: Focusable LAMP ASSEMBLY: Separate bulb & reflector
REFLECTOR TYPE: Non-faceted
CONSTRUCTION: Aluminum with rubber grips
WATERPROOF: Yes (not a dive light)
COLOR: Black
PRO: Handsome, solidly built, well-engineered, finely finished
CON: Unfaceted reflector with compromised beam quality and brightness. Cumbersome assembly

COMMENT: Here is a light that is visually impressive, beautifully and solidly built, ergonomically excellent, and prominently displayed in the catalog of a highly reputable supplier to the law enforcement and emergency response communities as a new "High Action Lighting Option" tactical flashlight. In view of this it is beyond my comprehension that this little beauty should be stuck with a poorly functioning nonfaceted reflector, a traditional bane of flashaholics, and one of the greatest barriers to competent lighting in the industry. (ASP Taclite is the lone example of a non-faceted 2x123 with an exceptionally powerful beam). What possible logic justifies this? Certainly not cost; the LX Legend does it, and does it well for $19.95. Certainly not non-applicability; after all who needs it more than the emergency worker or the LEO in a tactical situation?.

To make matters worse, the light is compromised by an extraordinarily complex and cumbersome assembly. There are ten separate components to this light, as opposed to the usual four, or at most five.in comparable Surefires and other lights. From front to back they are: 1) bezel 2) lens reflector 3) lens collar section 4) unnamed washer-like spring-attached device 5 bulb 6) an unnamed plastic wheel containing a tiny center spring 7) an unnamed circular metal band which looks like a finger ring 8) the main body of the light 9) the switch pushbutton, which is separate from the 10) non-lockout tailcap. God help the officer in the field if he needs to change bulbs in a hurry! In fact, as I very carefully disassembled the light the tiny bulb popped out and is currently lost in my carpet. The focusing ability is compromised by the smooth reflector. Here again, the Legend LX, through the use of a faceted reflector and a simple yet effective focusing mechanism shows the way to have both in an economical package.)

I had intended to take some beam measurements, but I still haven't found that lost bulb. I'll leave it to my better equipped fellow flashaholics to review the technical aspects of this light. The H.A.L.O. appealed to me, it looked great, felt great, handled great, but unfortunately, a potentially superior little light was compromised by some incomprehensible decisions.

Brightnorm

great review! Tells it like it is!

that's funny you lost the bulb and can't finish the review but it was just like that. Shows to go ya they aren't together in the design department over there. Heaven knows, many companies are not. That's why we need these reviews. The ones that are on top of things are great like surefire, arcflashlight, you know who they are. Others deserve to have their fannies kicked if you ask me. Like jewlery and watches you can make a slippery buck off of some hapless shoppers. They don't know to where to look for these free and impartial reviews.

brightnorm
Thanks for that honest review.
-Was this light $50. or $75.?
Sounds like the same people who designed this light also writes their ad copy!
(They told me twice that this was a 12 volt light)

Koga,

That's a great idea about the reflector, and I do have the Legend to cannibalize, but I have no idea who could alter it for me. Why the H**l don't these manufacturers get on the ball? Especially if they're selling to LEOs? I just don't understand it!

It will be very interesting to see your results. Can you figure out any way to jury rig a "lock-out" tail cap?

Best regards,
Brightnorm

PS What does "stochastic" mean?

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by brightnorm:
In fact, as I very carefully disassembled the light the tiny bulb popped out and is currently lost in my carpet.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hmmm... you know, if you have or can borrow a Shop Vac, you might be able to get your bulb back in one piece.
Put a towel in the bottom of the vacuum cleaner's tank, then start sucking.
With some luck, you'll open the vacuum up afterward and find the bulb lying on the towel.

A Dustbuster might also work, since the impeller is behind the dirtbag instead of ahead of it.

Thanks Stingmon,

It's a clever idea which, unfortunately I won't need. Unfortunately because I found the bulb, by crunching it !@$%##!!

Regards,
Brightnorm

Koga,

I haven't experienced that switch phenomenon myself, but I've hardly used the light.

It's good you've put in that warning. I just hope that this light, (because it's so prominently featured in what appears to me as a non-LEO to be a reputable source, is not in common use.

Best regards

Wow, I wish I had seen this thread first.

I saw this light on eBay from some guy that had marginal FB. It was cheap…$15 all in, but the bulb was burnt out. I thought "WTH, it's from Galls". Having had prior public safety experience, Gall's stuff was actually pretty good at a reasonable price. Wow…they really let me down on this one.

As previously mentioned, the bulb was burnt out, so I searched for a replacement. Unobtainium. Tried one of my SF dropins…nope. The HALO has a different diameter reflector (E series possibly? Dunno…all my stuff is P series). So how about one of a number of aftermarket bezels to swap in? Nope. Threads are much smaller…perhaps the E series thing again. A 17670 battery is so loose in the body it rattles, but 18650 won't fit either. No lock out tailcap – but none of my stuff works as a replacement.

ARGH. This thing is a major turd AFAIAC. I'm going to give it away rather than waste time modding it. Thanks Galls...

Very few of my partners and I use or buy from Galls. In the Southern California stores, their prices are a lot higher on lights, uniforms, and holsters. Customer service is also not very good. I don't trust their recommendations on products, especially in lights as they have no idea on what a field officer needs. I feel bad for our academy students who go there and get ripped off trying to equip their duty bags but their options are limited because it's one of the only "LEO" supply stores next to our academy.

After we get overcharged from Galls, most of us just go or buy from La Police Gear.

Galls IS or was owned by the notorious cleaning, and food service company known as Aramark corporation Inc. A company with, shall we say, a colorful history....