By Michael A. Black | Contributing Editor
Having spent virtually my entire adult life in law enforcement, I know how important having an effective flashlight can be.
Being able to illuminate a scene, be it a traffic accident, an investigatory stop, a crime scene, or a high risk situation, your life can often depend on how well you can light up the darkness. This also applies to private citizens in concealed carry situations, or even checking some suspicious noise at three in the morning in one’s home. It’s imperative to be able to see what’s ahead, and, if need be, what you’re going to shoot at.
Controlling your lighting is also important. Remember, activating a flashlight is also offering your assailant a target. You need to be able to extinguish your light quickly, should the need arise, and holding a big, standard flashlight in one hand and your gun in the other can be challenging. Thus, a sturdy light that’s small and easily handled that can be turned on and off almost instantaneously is the most preferable equipment of late.
Fenix has just released such a piece of equipment with their latest flashlight, the LD30. It’s a compact reliable little brute with high output and quick activation and deactivation. We’re talking 1600 lumens, which can illuminate the darkness up to a distance of 205 meters. It comes with a rechargeable 18650 Li-ion battery and USB power cord. The LD30 can also run on two CR 123A Lithium batteries in emergencies.
There’s a battery level indicator on the main hub on the front end of the flashlight that conveys the remaining battery voltage information. The constant green signal means a full, saturation charge exists. It subsequently switches to a flashing green to indicate that the voltage storage has diminished slightly, but is still sufficient. After that it changes to solid red when the charge has dropped to a poor level, and then on to a flashing red signal to indicate a critical voltage state. It also has intelligent overheating protection against high surface temperature.
The convenient rubberized tail switch activates and deactivates the LD30 with the press of a button. There’s also a specially designed side switch on the front end which offers five different settings of illumination. Just press the tail switch once to activate the light, and then use the side switch to adjust the output level of brightness to suit your needs at the particular scene. The levels of the illumination range from extremely bright to varying degrees of more subdued lighting.
At a little over four inches in length, this rugged little flashlight fits neatly in your hand, and also comes equipped with a two-position, metallic body clip for affixing it onto an epaulet or jacket pocket. This is especially important for officers wanting to illuminate a scene while still keeping your hands free, such as checking a driver’s license on a traffic stop, sorting out evidence, or even field-stripping your weapon in a dark environment.
While not everyone can have a flashlight or laser affixed to the rails of his or her pistol, the LD30 is small and compact enough to be held in the non-dominant hand to provide critical downrange lighting. The proper gripping technique is to use a cross-handed bracing grip that allows illumination as well as support for your gun hand. Another benefit is that the tactical tail switch can be turned on or off with the shooter’s thumb allowing for instant illumination or fade out to darkness.
As I said, the LD30 is compact and rugged. During our product testing session it was accidentally dropped onto a cement floor and sustained no damage to the shell, lens, or bulb. The outer shell is composed of high-strength and oxidation-resistant aluminum. The hard-anodized and anti-abrasive finish give the flashlight the look of a high quality piece of equipment. It comes with a nylon carrying case, but can also fits conveniently into your pocket and only weighs about two ounces.
Get ready to light up the night in style. The price of the Fenix LD30 ranges from $64.95 to $79.95
For more information go to: the specific LD30 link: https://www.fenix-store.com/fenix-ld30-flashlight-1600-lumens/
