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Energizer to Launch New Lights at SHOT Show

Saturday, January 10th, 2009

Last Fall we published a review of the Energizer Hard Case Tactical Light. We also posted a teaser on the new helmet light. They are being officially released at the upcoming SHOT show so we thought it would be a good time to jog everyone’s memory.

At AUSA we were able to sit down and take a look at Energizer’s new Helmet Light and as well as the Hard Case Tactical Light. Energizer is integrating state of the art technology in their line. They are using Cree lamps and Total Internal Reflection (TIR) lenses to focus the most light possible.

Energizer Hard Case Tactical 2AA Second Generation Handheld Light

As you can see, Energizer took the lessons learned from the first generation light and applied them to the new light. The first generation light is on the left and the new second generation light is on the right.

The Second Generation Light features six light modes with high and low settings:
-Bright white, high-intensity LED (70 lumens on high)
-Red LED for light-discipline and combat conditions
-Blue LED for light-discipline and medical applications
-Green LED for light-discipline and map-reading
-Infrared (IR) light for use with night-vision devices (880 nanometer rating)
–IR strobe for Identify Friend or Foe (IFF) capability (Blink rate is two per second)

Additionally, Energizer has integrated two power features that greatly increase the utility of the light. The batteries are always inserted tip first, eliminating the need for polarity indicators and while the light runs on two AA batteries, it is fully functional with one AA battery. The other battery can be reversed inside the battery chamber as a spare.

Energizer Hard Case Tactical Helmet Light

The Helmet Light offers four light modes:
-High-intensity White LED (35 lumens)
-Blue LED for light-discipline and medical applications
-Infrared (IR) light for use with night-vision devices (880 nanometer rating)
–IR strobe flashes for Identify Friend or Foe (IFF) capability (Blink rate is two per second)

Energizer’s Smart Switch Technology controls intensity of all visible light sources, providing a â€œquick-extinguishâ€ feature. The IR and Lockout modes prevent other light sources from operating in order to prevent “Light NDs”.

The light mounts to either side of helmet with a standard screwdriver and can be rotated in 18-degree increments and locked into place. It can also be removed from its mount and attached to MOLLE equipment.

The light mounts flush with the bottom lip of the helmet preventing the light from accidentally breaking.

Finally, Energizer is launching three new outdoor/hunting lights. The Night Strike line has its roots in the existing Tactical lineup.

Energizer Night Strike LED Handheld Flashlight

Energizer Night Strike Multifunction Compact LED Light

Energizer Night Strike Handheld Swivel LED Flashlight

While we will publish more information soon one important feature that sets the Night Strike line apart from the Tactical line is that the IR features have been replaced with UV. This could prove very handy with LE and EMS professionals as well as hunters. Be sure to visit Energizer at the SHOT Show, Booth #601, West building, second level. Images of the new Night Strike line courtesy of Energizer.

Tags: Energizer
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Energizer Unveils Helmet Light

Tuesday, September 30th, 2008

How serendipitous. Just as we publish our review of the Hard Case Tactical light Energizer releases two new lights. This is just a peek. We will have more details after our visit to Modern Day Marine.

We took a look at this new light today and we are very excited. There will be a much more in depth article very soon but here are a few facts to whet your appetite.

Four light modes:
– High-intensity White LED (35 lumens)
– Dedicated on/off switch
– High/Medium/Low settings
– Blue LED for light-discipline and medical applications
– Dedicated on/off switch
– High/Medium/Low settings
– Infrared (IR) light for use with night-vision devices
– 880 nanometer rating
– IR strobe flashes for Identify Friend or Foe (IFF) capability
– Blink rate is two per second

Helmet mount does not protrude below rim of helmet; allowing helmet to lay flat when not being worn

Tags: Energizer
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Energizer Hard Case Tactical Light

Monday, September 29th, 2008

Its been almost two months since I attended the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market. One of the many companies I met with was Energizer. And so I am sure the first thing out of your mouth is, “Energizer?”. And well, quite frankly, my answer is, “of course”. Not only have they been in the battery business for over a century, they have been making flashlights as well. They sent me a Hard Case Tactical light right after the show and I have been using it in a variety of environments. Initially, I was a bit concerned over the light’s size. However, my assessment is that it is beefy but not heavy and in my opinion the perfect replacement for the old GI Anglehead Flashlight (MX-993/U).

Sure, they resemble each other; somewhat. They both have an angle head, the capacity for color filtered light, and both have a clip to attach the light to equipment but that is pretty much where the similarities end. In fact, you can’t even truly say that the Hard Case Tactical has an angled head since it swivels a good 125 degrees up and down. This comes in handy since the base of the light is flat and you can swivel the head down to illuminate a work space (or card game).

Whereas, the old Anglehead light used two D-cells, the new Hard Case Tactical uses two AA batteries and throws more light. The Hard Case utilizes four LEDs; the main white light lamp, a red LED, blue LED and IR (strobe) LED.

Due to the use of AA batteries and LED lamps the light only weighs 8 ounces and that’s with the batteries.

I only have one real complaint with the light and that would be the switches. You have to rotate the base to control the IR light. Now rotating the base for the IR light isn’t necessarily a bad thing as it mitigates NDs for the IR light which can be at the best of times embarrassing and the worst of times deadly if a foe is equipped with NODs. My other gripe is that the main switch is on the bottom, but does at least feature a momentary switch. Unfortunately, due to its location, it isn’t exactly handy if you need momentary control of the light. I really like the momentary switches for the blue and red ancillary lights located right at your trigger finger. Additionally, they are all silent switches, designed to last the lifetime of the light.

The light is molded in Black and OD ABS plastic with rubberized panels to protect the light and ensure a positive grip in wet conditions. The MOLLE clip and side panels are manufactured from Black-coated stainless steel. The MOLLE clip will attach to most anything but was designed dimensionally for use with PALS webbing.

Overall, it’s a great light.

Tags: Energizer, Hard Case
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Mayflower’s Surefire Helmet Light Harness

Saturday, September 13th, 2008

So you’ve got a Surefire helmet light and you love it but you don’t always wear a helmet. Also, you’ve been thinking how much you’d like your light to do more. Mayflower Consulting thought the same thing and came up with a simple, yet elegant solution to the problem. Their harness is used in concert with the MOLLE adapter holding it firmly in place and allowing the light to tilt like a headlamp. The harness is lightweight and won’t take up much room in your kit. In fact, it can be mounted on the helmet, converting the light for use more like a traditional headlamp.

Very well constructed, the harness is made from mil-spec elastic webbing and the light mount is crafted from a 330D multicam face backed with Coolmax. These materials sandwich a mesh foam padding which works in concert with the Coolmax to mitigate sweat.

It is the perfect accessory for your helmet light. Available in about four weeks for under $15.00.

Mayflower Consulting’s e-commerce site should be up within four weeks as well.

Tags: Helmet Light, Mayflower Consulting, Surefire
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Surefire Saint Head Lamp

Monday, August 18th, 2008

The much anticipated Saint head lamp served as the crown jewel in Surefire’s booth at the Outdoor Retailer summer market. Early models were available at SHOT 08 but were only shown behind closed doors. OR will serve as the Saint’s coming out party.

Naturally, the Saint features all the attention to detail you would normally see in a Surefire product. First off, its an LED. Surefire promises 100 lumens for 6 hours. The low setting will run at 1 lumen for a whopping 144 hours.

The lens is a coated refractive optic engineered to work specifically with this LED. This means there are no rings and you get a uniform beam. The light source is also adjustable 90 degrees up or down and features a built in SOS beacon.

Of particular interest is the battery box. Not only can you use AAs but also CR123s depending on the orientation in the battery box.

The head harness was designed for long term use. Surefire representatives said that during testing they had worn the harness in excess of five hours with no discomfort. I found the harness comfortable when I tried it on. The lamp and battery harness are well balanced. The harness features Breathe-O-Prene (R) pads designed to allow sweat to escape instead of building up. They can also be removed for washing. I have included the following graphic from Surefire’s Saint brochure. It goes into great detail about the Saint’s construction.

The Saint is designed to be waterproof for 30 minutes in up to 1 meter of water.

Surefire plans to eventually release a full line of head lamps and the Saint will be the middle of the pack.

With the exception of the first photo all other photos are courtesy of Surefire.

Tags: Surefire
Posted in Gadgets, Lights, Outdoor Retailer | 1 Comment »

Cejay Engineering Combat ID Markers

Tuesday, July 8th, 2008

If you have been around the US military for awhile you are probably familiar with the issue strobe light. Originally designed for use by downed Airmen and other isolated personnel, it is bulky and early versions were more suited to Civil Search and Rescue than Combat Search and Rescue. However, it does the job; marking friendly troops. In 1984 the Phoenix light came along, a no frills IR beacon that attached directly to a common 9-volt battery and a flash rate intentionally designed to avoid confusion with small arms fire. Weighing in at 1 ounce, the Phoenix light has seen duty marking personnel, perimeters, drop zones, and vehicles. Due to its low cost and simplicity, the Phoenix Jr is still the most widely used electronic combat ID marker in the world.

Later, a certain user community required a beacon with multiple pre-programmed flash patterns including an option to program unique patterns in the field. The Pegasus 2 was born. The form factor hasn’t changed much, but the capability has. The Pegasus 2 has three user-selectable six second flash patterns; the first code pattern is a fixed flash rate code identical to the Phoenix Jr., the second code pattern is a International Morse Code signal (S â€“ O â€“ S) and the third is installed as needed by the user in the field. Note the pins along the top of the beacon. By shorting across these pins the user can select pre-programmed patterns or input new ones.

So what’s next in the world of beacons? Cejay has just released a new beacon for working dogs, the K-9 Pegasus Warrior beacon. Designed to be worn on the dog’s collar, it is intended to help track working dogs while they are off-leash. In many situations, it is a major relief to know who the friendly K-9s are.

There are three models: Red, NVG Green, and IR.

You’ll be seeing a lot more of Cejay Engineering’s products in future articles here at Soldier Systems Blog.

For more information on the Phoenix Light as well as other products visit Cejay Engineering.

All photos are courtesy of Cejay Engineering. Note: Export Notification: Infrared Variants of the described products are regulated by the U.S. State Department in accordance with the guidelines of the International Traffic in Arms Regulation [ITAR] per title 22 code of federal regulations parts 120 – 130. Some Cejay products are available only to military and Law Enforcement personnel.

Tags: Beacon, Cejay Engineering, Combat ID
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