use of strobe light while searching

[Jeff22]

Last week I attended a local class on shooting in low light.

The instructors were trained by Strategos International a few years ago.

The class was an interesting mix of live fire and building search scenarios accomplished with AirSoft guns.

We had an opportunity to test out a variety of lights during the search exercises. This was my first opportunity to test a Gladius light with the strobe feature. I was exposed to it when acting as a suspect, and also used it when searching.

I found the strobe light to be disorienting. Even when I was the one operating the light. But, this was my first experience using it (and I only had one opportunity)

What's the general opinion on the use of the strobe feature when using the light in search mode?

 

[Jedburgh]

Your experience matches my own. The strobe is very disorienting...to everyone.

Strobes are only good for dancing.

DOL

 

[KLRANGL]

Ive used a weapon mounted Gladius to great effect for CQB airsoft, but that's just fun and games. It doesn't seem (to me) to have much disorienting effect on the user, but I wouldn't put enough faith in it to use in a real life situation...

 

[Erich]

I concur - a bright, fast, strobe of the sort on my various lights makes me a little queasy, even if I'm using it. I am happy to have the option, but I like quick bursts of light and movement when searching.

 

[FM12]

Would be way too disconcerting to the operator, in my limited experience with strobes.

 

[Glenn Dee]

It's a lot easier, and a whole lot cheaper to allow your eye's to adjust to the ambient light. In most challanging situations... Time is on your side. Hurry up rush can have disasterous effects.

 

[OldMarksman]

it would seem to me that a light that stops visible motion wold not be helpful.

 

[Blue Steel]

I am not a fan of strobe effects, however...

If you train enough to have overcome some of the disorienting effects, then I think it would be a good tool when confronting someone. Once you have someone that you need to confront, activating a strobe feature that you are familiar/comfortable with should give you an advantage because you are hitting your target with both bright white light which will impact vision, as well as the disorienting effect of the strobe.

I do not think a strobe is effective when using the light for searching, and prefer using indirect & intermediate white light.