Flashlights...such a thing as too bright?

[Nodnol]

Not sure if this one for GD or not, because it’s more about etiquette rather than suggestions or feedback on gear.

I’ve recently purchased a flashlight, because the CQB site I play at warrants one at times, and others have used them with great success.

The one purchased has variable output, reaching up to 1000 lumens...its f’ing bright! 

Is is that a bit OTT? Is strobing someone’s retinas into something that resembles slow-cooked pork a bit of a dick move? I get that the whole point is to blind and disorientate opponents, but I don’t want to be an a-hole either.

Thoughts? 

 

[Adolf Hamster]

it's annoying, but to be expected, as long as you don't follow the blinding up with jerry michulek style "who needs full auto?" style trigger discipline it'll be ok

 

[Rogerborg]

1000 Westron lumens, or 1000 Chinalumens?

I'm surprised any CQB sites are still allowing strobes.  The local used to ask if anyone was (photosensitively) epileptic, but have just blanked banned them now as there may be folk who are unaware that they are photosensitive until they have a jillion lumen strobe flashed in their face while standing at the top of some stairs.

I personally feel that a stable light is fine, no matter how bright.  You're not going to do any real damage with a non-coherent source - folk will just look away, which is one of the points of them.

My favourite use for a torch is to poke it out of cover, light up the enemy and them shoot at it while I have a breather and occasionally shout "Still a gun hit."

 

[Nodnol]

1000 Westron lumens, or 1000 Chinalumens?

I'm surprised any CQB sites are still allowing strobes.  The local used to ask if anyone was (photosensitively) epileptic, but have just blanked banned them now as there may be folk who are unaware that they are photosensitive until they have a jillion lumen strobe flashed in their face while standing at the top of some stairs.

I personally feel that a stable light is fine, no matter how bright.  You're not going to do any real damage with a non-coherent source - folk will just look away, which is one of the points of them.

My favourite use for a torch is to poke it out of cover, light up the enemy and them shoot at it while I have a breather and occasionally shout "Still a gun hit."

It’s a half decent torch so I’d imagine it does what it says on the tin. I couldn’t see for **** after accidentally shining it in my own face, if that counts for anything haha.

You make a good point about the strobe function though. I might just use the stable light and go from there. 

 

[Druid799]

It’s a half decent torch so I’d imagine it does what it says on the tin. I couldn’t see for **** after accidentally shining it in my own face, if that counts for anything haha.

You make a good point about the strobe function though. I might just use the stable light and go from there. 

Your not going to do any permanent damage with a hand held light , the blink reflex would stop it from happening . From a medical point of view it’s good that more sites are banning strobe lights as the Borg is spot on about epilepsy. The instances of undiagnosed photosensitive has gone through the roof past couple of yrs due to the ever increasing time we’re all spending looking at screens of some sort or another and it’s usually the case that the first full blown fit can be the most dangerous.

So strobe ? please don’t , Full beam ? Blind away ! ??

 

[Lozart]

Personally I have no problem with torches but 1000lm is a touch OTT. The one thing that WOULD piss me off is getting silhouetted by that!

 

[Pdubyuh]

If its too bright you can get splash back and end up blinding yourself too

 

[Nodnol]

Personally I have no problem with torches but 1000lm is a touch OTT. The one thing that WOULD piss me off is getting silhouetted by that!

Yeah I’m not planning on being team’s lighthouse. 

If its too bright you can get splash back and end up blinding yourself too

Messing about at home, I have noticed this is a thing.

I’ll play around abit.

 

[Tommikka]

The guys have covered it, you aren’t going to do any harm but there is such a thing as too bright.

Example 1)

Once at a game I was searching rooms for props following the room clearance team. They were going in using just eyes in the darkness, I would go in each room afterwards and pop the light on & off to search.

In the darkness I lost track of where I was - one side had a corridor with multiple rooms off it, the other side was had a corridor with multiple doors to one long room.

The clearance team also lost track in the darkness only seeing a short distance, declared ‘clear’ and exited back out of the door then went to the next door.

i entered room one, lit it up and we received a volley from the far end

Example 2)

In a disused factory complex the main game was Sunday and Saturday’s was spent doing “experiences” with door kicking and hostage rescue etc

We had to crawl through a hole in the wall in pairs and crawl / climb obstacles in a search pattern.  I was the number one and was to call out what i saw, ideally double tapping any targets first but number two was to crawl with his gun on my  shoulder 

The instructor ran us through a mock-up in the wide open then sent us in:

“Target left”, “hit”

”target up”, “hit”

”hostage located”

etc

then we came out

”jeez” he says, “that’s the fastest I’ve seen”

Then adam switches his light back on and shows that I’ve just crawled through daylight 

 

[Tommikka]

Ps I forgot the most important example with lights, which I was guilty of for the room clearing party in no 2

Example 3) Silhouting

The worst part of bad light use is bringing attention to others

I was generaling a faction in an underground game at Drakelow tunnels - I was king of the angels so my costume consisted of black angel wings.

These often got in the way in the confined areas and had both the benefit and risk of highlighting who I was in the dark depending on if you were on my side or the opposition.

I have a fairly chilled leading style which is generally to give some direction on objectives then try to get stuck in and inspire.

This can include trying stupid things such as walking around stalemate corridors and trying to find my way up to enemy respawn.

I managed to walk into enemy HQ far behind the action in the morning with only one player in my way to prevent me stealing their stash of ‘lost souls’ (aka drinks bottles containing glow sticks)

Shot him out as he didn’t expect the enemy general to walk right up to him, stole as many souls as I could stash down my t shirt, but he eventually worked out that he could respawn and shoot me back.

Then in the afternoon action with the areas reversed we had the battle right up close to their new HQ. I got around and found myself facing directly into their HQ with a battle line behind me.

So I dragged my glow stick arm behind me, up against the wall, ripping feathers off one side and slowly walked closer and closer

Someone in the battle line lit up the corridor so the players respawning spotted the silhouette of a winged angel creeping up on them - from a few feet away

I received a swollen forehead for that one

 

[Rogerborg]

I have a sudden temptation to mask off a part of my torch lens...

 

[BigAl]

All you really need ie 60 - 200 lumens.  Anything else is overkill.

 

[AshOnSnow]

Not sure if this one for GD or not, because it’s more about etiquette rather than suggestions or feedback on gear.

I’ve recently purchased a flashlight, because the CQB site I play at warrants one at times, and others have used them with great success.

The one purchased has variable output, reaching up to 1000 lumens...its f’ing bright! 

Is is that a bit OTT? Is strobing someone’s retinas into something that resembles slow-cooked pork a bit of a dick move? I get that the whole point is to blind and disorientate opponents, but I don’t want to be an a-hole either.

Thoughts? 

I had a 600 lumen weaponlight I used for strobing people as they came into a dark building. Great fun.

 

[Nodnol]

Quick update;

Playing last week, the site’s smoke machine rendered the flashlight useless. ?

 

[Albiscuit]

related but a slight hijack, anyone have a link for a bright and pretty solid SureFire clone for a Scorpion Evo? (not a stupidly long one)

Going to add it to my xmas list  

 

[clumpyedge]

related but a slight hijack, anyone have a link for a bright and pretty solid SureFire clone for a Scorpion Evo? (not a stupidly long one)

Going to add it to my xmas list  

Get an Element or Knight(nights?) eveolution

All you really need ie 60 - 200 lumens.  Anything else is overkill.

Guess my Streamlight HL weapon light falls into the category of overkill...