Flashlight strobe

[fritz_monroe]

As I mentioned in another thread, I'm revamping my EDC and GHB.  One thing that I'm looking at are flashlights.  I noticed that many flashlights on the market today have a strobe feature on them.

I've never been in a situation where I felt I needed a strobe on my flashlight.  I'm not even sure if I know a time when a strobe would be useful.

Have any of you folks used the strobe on your flashlight?  Can you tell me a situation where you think that a strobe would be useful?

[FreeLancer]

The only thing I use it for is to spook the coyotes that don't run from the regular beam into keeping their distance at night.  A few of the bolder ones aren't fazed by strobes, unfortunately.

[DDJ]

Most of the strobing lights I have are intended for a less than lethal defensive tool.  Some research has found that a stobing light is more disorientating than just a bright light shined into someone's eyes.  So if you are threatened shining the light into the attackers eyes with the strobe on can disorientate them allowing you time for escape.  At one time officers were apparently trained to quickly move the light from side to side to cause the effect.

So that is the theory and a LEO may have more input in the practical side of that in their world.

Personally I find the multi function lights to just be a pain.  The primary reason is you never know what mode is next so you key the tail cap switch and you get a random light.  If it is wrong then you continue to hit the button until you get the light you want that time.  Others, and I do not have one of these, you have 2 controls one for the light mode and the other for the on off.  Now you have to think I want bright that is this button to up, or what ever, and then turn on.  If you are dealing with a predator, 2 or 4 legged, that is too much thought.  If you are dealing with  breakdown on the side of the road and are looking to reconnect your battery either way is fine, but the tail cap clicking through the modes may damage your night vision more if it comes on Bright in tight spaces and you wanted the low power. 

As with everything else compromise to how you are going to use it.  Is there time to think it through and switch modes.  I have to say I do like having the low power option for tight spaces like engine compartments.  The high intensity light way over there (another option wide focused beam or flood) can identify a risk further away.

That is a lot of words to say that good, bad, useful, or pain in the behind is all up to you.

[David in MN]

I have a couple with that "feature" but I'm a little skeptical to its real world use. You'd have to believe that in an emergency you're going to perfectly click the light 7 times (or whatever it takes). You'd also have to believe That it would have a tactical advantage, which it might, but it also draws attention big time. And what is the realistic plan? Are you hitting someone with a strobe and then...

The big failure for me is in light discipline. I don't have a light as a force on force measure. I could use it that way but it also needs to be used to move my wife and daughter (OK, they both have their own lights) and having dad running around with a strobe doesn't make sense.

I'm also changing my tune on light philosophy. Do I really want to bathe a room in light during a break in? Maybe not. It's my house. I know everything in it. In darkness I have the tactical advantage. Doesn't hurt that I'm one of those 20/15 freaks. The light is nothing but confirmation of my target. Bad guy sees the light and feels the .357 in the same breath.

[scoop]

I absolutely HATE the strobe function included on many flashlights.

[fritz_monroe]

Most of the strobing lights I have are intended for a less than lethal defensive tool.

Oh I get the idea behind it.  However, the 60 lumen light on my key chain likely will not be so disorienting to an attacker.  Just looking for any "real" reason that people are using them.  I don't like the strobe for all the reasons given.

Do I really want to bathe a room in light during a break in? Maybe not. It's my house. I know everything in it. In darkness I have the tactical advantage.

Exactly.  I wake from sleep to the sound of someone breaking into the house.  I'm slightly disoriented from waking from a deep sleep, but not enough to keep me from investigating with a weapon in hand.  I can maneuver around every part of my house in pitch blackness.  The intruder doesn't know exactly where I am.  Why would I turn on a light to show him?

As for low and high power, I like this.  I like to have a lower intensity when needed and there's some that have .5 or 1 lumen levels that give just enough light to read by.

[David in MN]

My roommate freshman year in college had a big drug habit. Nice guy from Hawaii (we have reciprocity here) but he held drug parties way too often and I would frequently find him and 3-5 other young men and women in my bed. We had issues. One night he threw a party and had a strobe party light going. I saw my room flashing and went back to investigate. Yup, 15 people high on LSD and ecstasy mostly naked and painting on each other.

I pulled him aside and told him I saw the strobe. He was amazed I could see it as he had closed the blinds. That's when I hit him with I saw it from across the Mississippi. It was what one might call a target indicator from over a mile away. I left and spent the night at my girlfriend's and he wound up spending the night in jail. I don't know who called but he was making it real easy.

What I'm hamhandedly getting at is that there is in my opinion little use of a "tactical" strobe. But as I mull it over it would be an awesome tool for attracting police or paramedics in an emergency. Also probably a good way to draw attention in a collapsed building. If you have a strobe and a whistle you have the ultimate set of tools for alerting rescuers I"M HERE. And that's not a bad tool. Ask a first responder and they will frequently lament the problem of getting to a victim. If I (God forbid) had to call 911 because of a medical emergency in my house it might make sense to point a strobe at the window or throw a can of paint in the front yard just to get them there the 4 seconds faster.

So tactical... maybe not but life saving? Maybe? These are just the thoughts that hit me.

[fritz_monroe]

Well that's a good use for it.  I still don't like them, but I can see that as being a good use.

[9mmMaster]

Keep it simple
 Simple on off switch and nothing else if you can find it.
You can manually strobe with your finger if you need to
It sucks to get a strobe when you expect a steady light.

[STARI GRAD]

I wont pretend that there isnt some manner of benefit that could be gained by using the strobe in some narrow circumstances but I will simply say that I DONT LIKE THE STOBE FEATURE.  Its not a deal breaker but I can do without it.  I can recall many instances where it came on during stress and simply pissed me off.  I could do without MOST of the features found on current day flashlights.  Honestly, I really just want a low (firefly) setting and a max setting.  I prefer the button to be on the body of the flashlight and not on the tailcap. 

I like the 2x AA and the single CR123 lights

currently using a Olight baton.