LaserFlashlight.org

Why The Term 'Laser Flashlight' Is An Oft-Used Misnomer

It's a good idea to have a flashlight handy most of the time, wherever you are. In the car, you'll want one in case you have a breakdown or some other roadside emergency. In the home you want at least one for power outages or disasters. But a Laser Flashlight isn't something you'll be using for these tasks. The term, in fact, is a misnomer.

Flashlight technology has come a long way in the past few years. The use of LED bright bulbs for illumination have changed the whole industry. Even the flashlights that still use incandescent bulbs have been improved greatly. But a flashlight laser? Imagine the damage it would do to your eyes if someone shone a huge laser towards you! You'd be toast.

A laser-beam 'flashlight' is, in fact, a pointing device. The laser beam projects a small light beam, often colored, to great distances, for the purpose of pointing out something in the distance . They're used in media presentations as a pointer on the screen or on any other visual aids being used. They're used by guides, building contractors, star gazers or anyone else with a need to point accurately at a long distance.

Laser pointers are used by the military and by police departments as sighting devices. You've probably seen at least one 'sniper' movie where the sniper's gun sight projects a red dot on the target. THAT's a laser flashlight, but it's not meant for providing illumination because the beam is powerful but tiny. It's meant to pinpoint an object, not illuminate it.

But that's not to say that laser pointer sighting devices aren't used in conjunction with an illuminating flashlight, because they are. But, in most cases, these flashlights will be LED models. There are a great many of these combination flashlight/laser sight available for both rifles and handguns. This is just one more use for the laser pointing technology.

But if you want a good flashlight for the home or car, you'll want to look into the bright light LED units. These high-tech flashlights (or torches, to our British friends) come in every imaginable size and configuration, from the smallest key chain light to a large rifle mounted affair.

There are basically two types of flashlights available, LED and incandescent. Led lights are very energy efficient, virtually vibration and shock proof and burn cool to the touch. Incandescent models burn hot, are much more fragile but currently have the ability to burn much brighter than the LED units. LED technology is getting better all the time, but the brightest lights only put out a max of about 200 lumens. The traditional incandescent can go 500 lumens or better. But then, how bright is bright enough? 200 lumens is plenty.

There's a wide array of flashlights available to suit every need. For about ten bucks US, you can get a small key-chain that doubles as a personal safety flashlight. This tiny, inexpensive safety device is a precision instrument capable of lighting your way with an adjustable-intensity beam. It also boasts four safety strobe functions in case you get stranded and need to attract help.

For a few dollars more you can have the same key-chain/light used by members of the US Secret Service. It is the world's smallest and brightest infrared key-chain flashlight. It produces an infrared beam invisible to the naked eye, for use with night vision equipment. It's a technology used extensively by the military.

For a regular sized light, you can choose from an endless list of options: length, number of lumens, operating limits before the need to recharge, etc. You can have either a rechargeable or non-rechargeable version, incandescent or LED. There's also a third option, called HID, which delivers an intensely bright light but at the cost of energy efficiency. Some of these high-intensity lights will work for less than half an hour if set to maximum brightness. This is called 'tactical time', and is dependent on how powerful of a beam is being used at the time.

Laser pointers (flashlights?) also come in a wide array of models to suit any need. From the smallest key-chain or pen versions to the large rifle-mounted sights (and everything in between). They even make a model specifically designed to bring enjoyment to your inquisitive pet. Dogs and cats just love to chase that little red dot around! Good exercise for them but easy on you -- it's a perfect use of laser technology for this high-tech pet toy.

There are some interesting and inspiring stories online from people who were somehow saved or averted a disaster by virtue of their flashlight or laser pointer. One story is about a man who crashed his car where it was blocked from being viewed from the highway. He used his light to attract the attention of a passing motorist who was able to summon help. There's also one from a gentleman who fell through the ice on a lake and used the grips built in to the design of his light to get hold of the edge and climb out of the freezing water. These people both credit the saving of their lives to their flashlights. Pretty awesome.

You should never look directly into a laser pointer and, if using one, should never point it at any living thing. Lasers aren't really a toy (except for the dog) and can do damage if misused. Lasers are used for all kinds of medical treatments and used in the building trade for precisely accurate measurements. There found in lots of places in your environment, including the grocery checkout counter.

Which brings us back to the 'laser flashlight'. As already mentioned, lasers can be dangerous and do great damage if misused. There are several places on the Internet where you can learn to construct a laser flashlight that's a true laser, but it's so powerful it can burn things down. You don't want one of those to see your way in the dark, you probably want an adjustable beam, rechargeable LED flashlight. Leave the lasers to those doing the pointing.