Police Flashlight

Rodney Kings diagnosis from injuries was due to six cell anemia.

Since this is the Incandescent sub-group. . .

Dear "Olandezul01" ,

As you are from Romania (like myself) , and I know how hard is to chose here from all the chinesse crap , no brand..., just PM me and I'll help you to find something good in Romania , depending on your budget !!!...

Nice to find that "the light" can be seen , at the end of the tunnel ...sorry for the others , is a game of words in romanian language...

One thing that some of these Police lights are sometimes good for is that you can sometimes use one or more of the battery tubes to extend other lights, e.g., to make a 2xAA or even 3xAA light.

EDIT: That was how I originally found BLF, several years ago… I was looking to make a 1xAA light into a 2xAA.

Cops here have measly flashlights, when i get them to pull it out and then draw mine on them they go OMG, and its not like i pull a cannon on them just a fist sized light like theirs.

Wellp, how often do they use one? Or have reason to know there’s Something Better out there?

Here, cops have side-lights (LED) that are scary bright. Good for lighting up whole alleys when pulling up. So there’s little need for a good flashlight unless they go into dark buildings and the like. And then, a Mag probably seems perfectly usable to them.

And lots will want high-reliability lights like Suefires, even though the prices are exorbitant relative to performance. But they (or their department) are willing to pay for it.

Frankly, I can understand that. If you drop the light and it busts and now you’re stuck without any light at all, well, that’d kinda suck.

Me, I’d keep a spare, even a small Jetbeam or something, but if you only have one, it’d better be reliable.

Yes, there’s sound logic behind it. Tempered by ignorance of the amazing budget lights we have today, but it’s still sound within their context.

Also I agree, I always carry a spare to my main torch. And it’s not that rare that I end up using the spare more than the main one.

Thankfully I never dropped a light all that far, and never had one bust, so I’m wondering what the failure modes are for dropped lights. Tailswitch? Component on the driver pops off?

Even if the front glass breaks, it should still work unless you dropped it in saltwater or something.

I was thinking that potting the driver would help as far as shock. Damn, forgot their name, but there was a place nearby that sold (specialised in) things like potting compounds. Rigid, flexible, insulating, conductive, etc. For a set-in-stone pill like a D26 or for critters like the Convoy S-series, the pill could be completely potted and still be removable from the light’s housing if replacement is needed. But the pill itself would now be one “disposable” unit.

From personal experience, what always broke and jeopardized the functionality was the driver’s solders. Had three Thrunites where that happened.

Hmm, so wonder if a controlled reflow (to de-stress any borderline soldered joints) might help.

In Canada there is a brand called Police Security that are sold at Canadian Tire stores. I have a few AA versions that are 60 lumens and I have had no issues with them. I got them on sale for about 2.00 with battery. Maybe this is the site?

Police in the Netherlands are supplied with crap lights. More expensive than Convoy S2+ but lower output. When I showed them a C2+ they went like “OMG” after they got their vision back.

Basically: buy a Convoy S2+ or an C8. You’ll outshine a lot :slight_smile:

Practically anything would be more expensive than a S2. The S2 is one of the best bargains out there…

I’d recommend to them a holstered C8 (for throw) and pocketted S2+ with wider-angle TIR for flood.

I bet the Dutch police still use Maglite’s.
What kind of lights do they use, did you ask them?

No I didn’t. They did ask what I was using :smiley:
@lightbbringer: agree, C8 wouldn’t be a bad idea for EDC for them. Should be self-charging as LiIon management would be a problem for them, being busy enough …

Maybe a compromise between the 2, a Convoy M1 ?

As i am thinking about it, i still do not own a M1, should buy one

Yes you should! I have one, and it’s far and wide my most versatile torch. I thought it was gonna fall by the wayside a bit when I got my S2 (both have Biscotti), but I found myself using the M1 a whole bunch all the same.

Nah. Cops here love lights with CR123As, so if carrying extra primaries isn’t a chore, I don’t see why a spare Li cell would be a bother.

Just as with ammo, it’d be important for both lights (regular and spare) to use the same type of cell.

most drop killed lights i have fixed had the inductor torn off the board.
its a poorly supported heavy part.i always glue them with ca and zip kicker to prevent a repeat failure.
good potting would prevent this but hamper modding.
and since it costs a few pennies a light is skipped in cheapies.

as for the original topic a “police flashlight” is a very broad request.
everything from plastic junk to surefires.
with the better stuff being streamlight and maglight rechargeables.
the above are best suited as they are built to work after breaking windows and skulls.
i still have a magcharger in my workvan for these reasons.
iirc i put a wa1160 bulb in it.its always in easy reach in its charging mount.