Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Do you find strobes useful?

Two separate questions about lights with the ability to strobe.

1) Do you find them useful?
2) Have you ever actually tried using it? (Not just turning it on, but actually practiced looking for a bad guy / confronting a bad guy / shooting with it)

I answer No, then Yes.

I've tried using strobes, hand held and weapon mounted, and thought I'd share my thoughts and get yours. Some of the problems I had with them...

There's another switch, button, or setting to mess with. I've seen a lot of folks who loved their strobe flashlight get flustered when they hit the wrong button or clicked to the wrong setting. I'm a big fan of KISS and extra settings on your lights just doesn't jive with that...for me.

I've never been in a serious situation where I thought "Man I wish the lights in this room would start flickering on and off real quick". In fact, I've been in numerous training scenarios where strobe lights have been turned on for the specific purpose of confusing the good guys. Even when I know they're on, they're confusing and they disrupt my perception of what's around me. I never understood the logic in taking something that is known to be disrupting to your ability to discern what's going on, and then intentionally introducing that into a situation that could be harmful to you.

In low light training I've been introduced to the technique of "popping" the light....giving quick bursts of light to illuminate what I needed to see and then moving. This method lets you probe the darkness without giving your position away to the bad guy. I think some folks mistakenly believe that a strobing flashlight accomplishes the same goal with less effort. But I've been on the receiving end of that search technique and a strobing flashlight has always been a dead giveaway for where the searcher was. The strobes is just too fast and from a distance might as well be a solid beam of light...for purposes of not giving away the position of the searcher.

I admit that in the face of a bad guy they can serve to disorient them. But there are other techniques that can do the same thing without less risk to the good guys.

Just my observations, whaddayall think?

other than letting the kids play with them, I see zero practical use for a strobe effect flashlight.

I am with you Blue. A light should provide illumination or not, that is all, on or off. Under stress anything that forces you to make one more decision is a waste of your limited menta/physical resources. Any surprise, like your light not doing what you expect, can throw you off your game. If it is not a CLEAR positive and takes ANY effort it is a waste.

While looking at your front sight super imposed on another person's chest and trying to determine if you need to kill them to save yourself the last thing you need is one more decision to make.


-Z

Spelling edit.

I have tried them, but found them somewhat disorienting when really trying to focus a specific point.

I do practice the "popping" method though.

No and No. Although I answered �no� to the second question, I am around a lot of people who have been sucked into trying the multi-mode lights, and I think they are just dangerous. There are too many times that I have seen people clicking to find the right setting or clicking through to turn the things off when they already should be off. In my opinion that creates a greater risk to the user than not having the technology. I like a full power on-off switch and a steady beam and that�s it, with one slight exception not relevant to the topic.

A strong solid beam in someone�s eyes has been disorienting enough (to them) to suit my purposes. There�s probably some strobe light advocacy group or strobe light trainers� association that would say I�m crazy, but that is my experience.

That's a good point about getting a light turned OFF quickly, and more important that getting one turned ON quickly sometimes.

years ago we experimented with a strobe grenade which could be programmed for timing...
It's usefulness was very limited...

Having been through training from companies who offer and tout the the strobe function, no I do not find it useful, with the exception of directing traffic with a handheld light.

It is, however, fun with drunks.

Flashlight companies exist to sell flashlights. I see this as a fad that will probably go away. Yes, it could theoretically disorient someone on the other side, but it runs a bit contrary to the reason we carry flashlights. When we need light, we need light, not a portable disco. With a base thumb switch, you can get a similar effect if you really think it�s necessary. If your flashlight is powerful enough to really hinder someone�s vision, then a steady beam directed right at the eyes will serve you well.

I dont need another switch or setting for a light. As others have mentioned I want the light on or off. The strobe might be more disorienting to the bad guy but it is equally as distracting to the shooter on the other end.

I asked a friend of mine this very question this morning (I'm about to enter the world of weapon lights). He did three tours in Iraq and he kicked in a few doors while he was there, so he has .... more experience than me.

His opinion is that strobes are mostly useful as a distraction. Thinking about it, that makes sense. But it also tells me that, at best, they are only a good idea if you have friends with you. If I'm dealing with a bad guy in my house in the middle of the night, the last thing I probably want to be doing is distracting him in my direction. Also, as noted above, there is a lot to be said for KISS.

strobes are best utilized while entering a fatal funnel or through a door; the bad guy is unable to exactly time you or see you (like if you had a solid light on...and please understand i'm struggling to complete that thought.

I've been the "bad guy" in a closed room when the "good guys" came in. The popping the light was useless, I knew where they were and simulated shooting them. the solid beam was a solid beam giveaway.

the strobe (for me anyways) denied me the same ease. I was THE biggest skeptic prior to being in this situation.

so in summary...it depends. I like it now as one more tool. If you move while using it it's good and causes a lack of clear focal point. If you stand still it yells "I'm right here".

Is it true that it may be difficult for the strobe guy to see the threat advancing? I heard this somewhere but haven't got around to testing it.

,...not since the early 70's.

I ain't had the nerve to do any more windowpane since then.

Last time I did,...the lampshades breathed,..Walter Cronkite grew a waterhead that filled up the screen own my 13" B&W TV,..and the crickets outside my window were singin' "It's a Man's World", ala James Brown,..

fuggit,...yanno?

I don't need a buzz that bad.

those were the days...

Bought a new Streamlight Stinger last night. EVERY LED stinger they make now has a strobe function. Freaking tards.

No, they mess me up even to use!

they work well in my hands because I can never figure out how to make the strobe function work.