Torches with additional modes
Additional modes
— the presence of one or more additional modes in the flashlight.We emphasize that in this case we mean not just different levels of brightness, but formats of work that differ from the standard version of “constant luminous flux in the visible range without pronounced coloration”. The specific set of such formats may be different, it should be specified separately; and the most common options nowadays are as follows:
— Stroboscope. Fast flashing mode — several flashes per second. One of the most popular applications of this function is disorientation of the enemy in an extreme situation; thus, a stroboscope is often provided in underbarrel flashlights (see "Type"), as well as manual models of "tactical" specialization. In addition, fast blinking is well suited to distinguish yourself on the road — especially in cloudy weather or at night: such a light is much more visible than constant light, including with peripheral vision. At the same time, we note that when using a stroboscope, some caution should be observed: due to the specific effect on the psyche, this mode can provoke exacerbations of certain diseases — for example, seizures in patients with epilepsy.
— S.O.S. The mode of operation is "three short flashes — three long — three short", which corresponds to the international signal "please help" (letters SOS in Morse code format). This eliminates the need to send such a signal manually and allows you to leave the flashlight to work autonomously, and take care of more pressing problems (which often accompany situations that require SOS).
— Low / high beam. Possibility to switch between far directional beam and near diffused light. Such switching is most often accomplished through the use of multiple sets of LEDs; at the same time, in some models, each of these sets is responsible for its own mode, in others, part of the diodes works regardless of the mode, and additional LEDs are turned on to switch to high beam along with these diodes.
— Infrared (IR). Illumination in the invisible infrared range. It is used, in particular, to improve the efficiency of night vision devices and IR sights. Note that many of the LEDs responsible for this mode also glow in the visible range (red light) during operation; however, this glow is quite weak and, usually, is noticeable to the human eye only when looking directly at its source from a short distance.
— Ultraviolet (UV). Illumination in the ultraviolet range is mainly used to identify objects and traces that are invisible under normal lighting. One of the most popular ways to use this feature is with a makeshift currency detector: most modern bills have markings that glow under UV light. Also, such light can be used to detect inscriptions with "invisible" ink (including marks on the same bills), some biological (for example, blood) and chemical liquids (in particular, UV-sensitive compounds can detect leaks in pipes and liquid contours), etc. Note that the UV emitter usually glows in the visible range — with a characteristic bluish tint; this allows you to accurately determine whether such a light is on or off.
— Red light. One of the more popular complementary colours in modern flashlights; can be used both in combination with blue and green (in the so-called RGB models), and as the only auxiliary shade. One of the features of red light is that it practically does not affect night vision, does not penetrate through the eyelids, and even after complete darkness does not blind the eyes. This makes such lighting the best option, for example, for clarifying map data during a night trip, when you need to quickly restore vision after turning off the light, or for emergency lighting in a sleeping room, where you need to see the environment and at the same time it is undesirable to disturb sleeping people with the light. . Another way to use red light is signaling: this light travels farther than blue or green, and stands out prominently against most landscapes and man-made objects. The change of shade can be carried out both due to the light filter on the main light source, and due to a separate LED.
— Blue light. One of the shades used in the main three-colour "RGB-lanterns" — along with red (see above) and green. This light is intended mainly for situations where you need to effectively illuminate the space in front of you, but it is undesirable to use ordinary white light. Human vision is most sensitive just to blue and green shades; therefore, a relatively weak blue light flux allows a large amount of detail to be revealed. And in some situations, such lighting can be even more effective than white. For example, if at night a white lantern is pointed at a light object, then the space behind this object will be hardly noticeable due to the bright reflected light; and a weak blue light will evenly highlight both the "foreground" and the "background". But using this shade at high brightness, on the contrary, is undesirable — reflection from bright blue light will dazzle even more than from white, and even more so red. And if a blue beam, even a weak one, hits directly into the eyes, it will instantly knock out night vision, and it will take quite a long time to restore it.
Note that the choice between blue and the similar green (see below) depends on the specific situation: in different situations, different shades may be optimal.
— Green light. Hue, most commonly used in tri-colour RGB lights, but sometimes used as the only complementary colour. In many ways it is similar to the blue described above — in particular, in some situations, a weak green light can clearly reveal details that are invisible in other shades (even under the same blue light), but high brightness is undesirable for such a beam. In addition, this colour has its own specific feature: many animals almost do not react to green light, so it is especially convenient for hunting.
— Lighthouse (another name is duty flashing). Mode of infrequent flashes — most often at a relatively low brightness, but exceptions are possible; and in some models you can find more than one version of the lighthouse. Anyway, this function is well suited for signaling and indicating your location; at the same time, the beacon not only consumes battery power more economically than a constant light of the same brightness, but is also better visible from a distance. Also note that in headlamps, the flicker mode performs a similar function (see below).
— Flicker. In fact, it is an analogue of the beacon described above, used in head models (see "Type"). In this mode, the flashlight emits short flashes or shines with a variable, “pulsating” brightness. Anyway, this format of work is not intended to illuminate the surrounding area, but to make the user more visible to others: a person reacts to flickering light purely reflexively, even if the source of such light is far in the zone of peripheral vision. The beacon mode will be useful primarily on the roads — for example, when walking or cycling at night: even in the city, such a warning for surrounding drivers will not be superfluous, and there is no need to talk about dark country roads.
— Red blinking (red blinking, red beacon). This mode allows you to make the flashlight as noticeable as possible: the red light, especially the flashing one, catches the eye even in the daytime. And in the dark, this shade is also useful due to the fact that it does not harm night vision (for more on this, see "Red Light" above). But the specific specialization of the red flashing may be different, depending on the specialization of the flashlight. For example, in tourist models (see "Type"), this mode allows you to give a signal, indicate the location of the camp, collection points, etc.; and in headbands, it is used to highlight the user on the road and make him as visible as possible to others (primarily for car drivers).
— Lamp mode. A function found mainly in hand-held luminaires (see "Type"). In fact, we are talking about a diffused light mode — as opposed to a directional beam, which provides the main light source with a reflector. Diffused light does not differ in range, but it allows you to cover a significant space — for example, to illuminate an entire room. Accordingly, the lamp mode significantly expands the possibilities for using the lamp.
— Side light. One of the names for the lamp mode described above; the diffuse light source used for this mode is often located on the side of the luminaire body — hence the name.
— LCU. Laser pointer mode: the flashlight emits a laser beam, the mark from which points to the intended point of impact. It makes sense to provide such a regime only in underbarrel models (see "Type").
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