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Marcus_1
Marcus_1's picture
A mini-strobe light...

Just saw this ad :

http://techiefans.com/with-a-rise-in-domestic-terrorism-europeans-are-tu...

On a local news website. Selling "tactical spotlights/torches" for use as a self protection tool in "this day of international terrorism"....

Whilst, yes a bright light flashing in someones eyes is certainly a massive deterrent; I don't think that it would work in the face of a highly trained and motivated "terrorist".

Iain Abernethy
Iain Abernethy's picture

The first thing to note is that they are selling the torches at a “75% discount price” of $56 (normal price being $224.45). The exact same torch is available on Amazon.co.uk for £3.69 (approx. $4.90)!!!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01GIYRM7K/

It strikes me that a deliberate rip off is a foot!

The reviews on Amazon suggest it’s a good torch; especially seeing as it costs less than £4 / $5 (and not the $225 suggested via the link!). However, I have my doubts about it as an effective defensive weapon … and it’s certainly not advertised as such on Amazon.

There’s all the usual stuff about the ability to draw and operate when under attack. If it was in your hand, and you were able to switch it to strobe mode fast enough, there’s also the fact it’s neutralised by the enemy closing their eyes or turning their head.

An everyday torch can certainly be used as an improvised weapon, but I feel you’d be better hitting them with it. If you were walking the dog in a dark area where you’d normally have a torch, then it is to hand and ready to use.

Keeping it with you all day, every day as a weapon would see you in breach of Section 1 of the Prevention of Crime Act 1953 which prohibits the possession in any public place of an offensive weapon without lawful authority or excuse (self-defence is not deemed a sufficient excuse). The term “offensive weapon” is legally defined as: "any article made or adapted for use to causing injury to the person, or intended by the person having it with him for such use.”

Presenting shining a torch is someone’s eyes as an effective anti-terrorism measure is ridiculous.  Charging ELEVEN times the standard price for the torch and presenting it as a “75% discount” is immoral. This is clearly someone trying to make immoral money at a ridiculous mark up by trading on people’s fears.

All the best,

Iain

EDIT: My bad, the one on amazon in not the same! The expensive one is the 700 Lumens model, the cheap one on Amazon is 2000 Lumens! So go to amazon and pay eleven times less for a torch almost three times as bright!  

Marcus_1
Marcus_1's picture

Iain

Thanks for the susinct reply.

As usual you are more than correct, I feel this is an absolutely attrocious way for a company to cash in on the fears of people in this day and age.

Iain Abernethy
Iain Abernethy's picture

OK, so for £3.69 I wanted to see what it was like :-) As a self-defence “weapon” it is useless. You could hit someone with it; just as you could with any other torch. But it’s quite compact and only a small amount would protrude out of either end of your fist.

The idea of using the strobe to “blind” your attacker is also fanciful. Aside from the fact that’s highly unlikely to work anyway, you need to toggle through a variety of settings before “strobe” is activated (very bright, bright, normal, strobe …”) and there’s no way anyone would be able to do that fast enough while under pressure … and even if they did it’s not going to work anyhow. I shone it directly in to my eyes on strobe from arms-length away, and while it certianly leaves a mark on your reinias, there is no way it will stop any attacker. You can see past it and it's not painful or unbearably unpleasent; not even close. Let alone leaving me "disoriented beyond belief" as the website claimed! It also claimed "you wouldn’t be able to see a thing, and would most likely lose your sense of balance." Not true. I could see fine and my balance was not affected (not even sure what the supposed machanism would be there).Claims that "after turning on the strobe mode for 5 seconds we had to turn it off because it was incredibly disorienting" are also very questionable.

If your attacker was an unarmed terrorist who had just came out of compete darkness, who was unable to move at faster that a slow shuffle, and who also suffered from acute photosensitive epilepsy, then maybe, just maybe, this touch would be of some use.

It’s clear that the strobe is intended for attracting attention / letting people know where you are. That’s obviously what the manufactures of the torch had in mind; especially when you consider that there are actually two strobe functions … the second of which repeatedly sends out “SOS” is Morse Code. It seems a dodgy website “rebranded” the torch and jacked up the price a ridiculous amount.

It’s actually a very good torch for the money Amazon are asking! Pretty useless for self-defence, and certainly not worth the $224.45 the questionable website put forth as the RRP for the “firearms alternative”. However, away from the marketing hype of one website, £3.69 for a very robust and incredibly bright torch is a great deal. Idea for camping etc and the strobe settings provide a very useful safety function in the event of getting lost / stranded.  I’d certainly be happy to have it with me when out of the fells etc.

As a self-defence tool, it’s all but useless. And to be fair, the original manufactures never intended it to be used as such. However, as a great value torch, that has genuine outdoor safety uses, then at less than £4, you can’t go wrong.

All the best,

Iain

Stuart Akers
Stuart Akers's picture

Hahaha that's our job now proof testing.

Good for you cheeky

Marcus_1
Marcus_1's picture

Iain

Wow, you took this to the extreme, wasn't expecting a field test!! But well done to you, I feel it's time things like this are named and shamed!

Iain Abernethy
Iain Abernethy's picture

Marcus_1 wrote:
Wow, you took this to the extreme, wasn't expecting a field test!! But well done to you, I feel it's time things like this are named and shamed!

Happy to spend £4 to satisfy my curiosity ;-) It’s actually money well spent because the torch it truly amazing for the prize, but it’s no self-defence tool.

All the best,

Iain