Multifunction Light Output in LED Flashlights
Law enforcement and emergency service personnel encounter a lot of different situations everyday. They are never sure exactly what they are going to be doing or what tools they may need. In most cases, professionals will only be able to have with them what they can carry. That is why it has become increasingly important for many tools to be as versatile as possible.
One constant need in any police equipment pack is a light source. Much of a police officer or fire & rescue worker’s active or on duty time takes place during the time between sunset and sunrise. The tactical flashlights that they use must provide a variety of light and last a long time without having to change batteries or recharge. The more features they can find on one tool, the less equipment they have to carry and the freer they are to move and do their job. Features that are easily controlled are important, too. In a lot of cases, an officer may only have one hand with which to hold and operate the flashlight. Flashlights are becoming, not only more streamlined, but also more efficient than in the past.
One advancement in flashlights has come about with the development of LED bulbs. LED stands for Light Emitting Diode. In traditional bulbs, even smaller flashlight bulbs, a thin filament is stretched across a couple of posts inside a bulb filled with gas. These filaments get super hot when power is applied and produce light. Unfortunately, they also produce heat, which is wasted energy. An LED works differently. There is very little heat produced and no special gas is needed. While a filament is easily broken, especially after long term use, a diode is much hardier and will actually stand up to a fair amount of abuse.
The amount of light produced can be changed according to how much power is applied, as well as by the number of bulbs in use. At its brightest, a police officer can use the light to pinpoint a suspect and possibly blind and confuse them momentarily. This may allow officers to apprehend the suspect at a lower risk to themselves. This kind of light output is not good for every situation, though. If an officer has to write a traffic ticket or check an ID, this much light can become irritating. As mentioned above, this amount of light is meant to help control suspects, but is not conducive to everyday activities. That is why the ability to dim or refocus this light is so important.
Another feature that is needed in any high performance tactical flashlight is the ability to control the beam of light. There is a new product on the market called an LED Lenser High Performance Light. It has an Advanced Focus System that allows the beam of light to be adjusted through a large variety of sizes. If you twist a knob in one direction, the light will spread out into a wide, full floodlight. This can be incredibly helpful during searches in wide open areas like fields and yards. Another twist of the knob and the bean can be focused down into a tight spotlight. This light can pinpoint objects easily. When you combine the variable amount of light output with the adjustable beam, these lights become incredibly versatile.
There are a couple of other important features that are inherent to and available in LED lighting. The first feature of an LED light is its power efficiency. Just as police officers cannot carry a ton of equipment, they really cannot afford to be weighed down with batteries, either. LED lights don’t waste as much power as traditional bulbs and can, therefore, last much longer on the same battery. A second feature of LEDs is the availability of them in a wide variety of colors. Not only can a multifunction tactical flashlight operate with white light, it can also have multicolored bulbs that can produce light in green, blue, red or any other color deemed necessary.
~ Ben Anton, 2008
