5.11 Light for Life

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cutter17

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May 16, 2006
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5.11 Light for Life PC3.300
Anyone have one of these yet? I have a cousin who is getting set up with a couple of light companies to become a distributor and to sale at gun/knife shows. Just yesterday he picked up two of these, the large model (250 lumens) and the small (200 lumens), and the one I'm asking about specifically. I am going to buy one form him this coming week because he wanted to take both to a gun/knife show this weekend to show. I figure he will keep the large and I'll get the smaller one.

If you haven't heard about these the selling point is that they recharge in 90 seconds. That's right 90 SECONDS, not minutes. Here is the write up on the light:

This is for the larger one, PC3.400

This Light for Life Flashlight comes Standard with Default Programming: which offers three power modes: bright (one-click = 90 lumens, two-clicks = strobe, hold for 270 lumen output).

For Repair and Warranty issues you must contact 5.11 Directly. Please CLICK HERE for more information. Warranty information also under our Returns Policy.

5.11 Tactical has entered into a partnership with IVUS Energy Innovations, the makers of Flashpoint™ Power Technology, to bring you a flashlight that will revolutionize the portable lighting category and be true to our brand and our customers. The UC3.400 provides the longest uptime, the fastest recharge on the market,it is environmentally friendly, and you will never need to replace your flashlight. Preorder yours today!

In only 90 seconds, the UC3.400 Flashlight will go from dead flat to a full charge. That is 75 times faster than our nearest competitor. This quick recharge allows the light to always be ready. No need to carry multiple flashlights, purchase multiple chargers, or have to remember to charge your light after a long shift. In just 90 seconds, your Light for Life™ UC3.400 will be fully charged and ready to produce another 120 minutes of light. Whereas most flashlights begin to lose strength after you initially turn them on, the Light for Life last for 90 minutes at 90 lumens, cycling down to 25 lumens for 30 minutes and finally 15 lumens for 30 minutes. This keeps you safe in the toughest of conditions.

Unlike traditional rechargeable battery systems that develop memory or degrade (holding less and less charge after each use) and have a life expectancy of 500 – 1000 charge/discharge cycles, the Flashpoint™ Power Technology system is rated for 50,000 charge/discharge cycles with virtually no degradation. That’s a charge a day for more than 135 years! Through 50,000 cycles, our testing shows that the Flashpoint™ system will still retain 96% of its peak capacity. Powered by 3 LED’s rated for more than 50,000 hours (that's 40 hours a week, for more than 24 years) means that there is nothing to replace. The Light for Life™ can supply your lighting needs throughout your career, and still be handed down to your children and their children.

The 5.11 Light For Life™ comes with a limited lifetime warranty and its internal components are rated for a life of over 50,000 cycles. That adds up to more than 130 years if you use and recharge the light once a day! The flashlight’s body is made from a state-of-the-art polymer that is impact, abrasion and water resistant to stand up to the intense duty we know you’ll put it through.

Features
# LENGTH - 11.5 in, 29.2 cm
# BARREL DIAMETER - 1 3/4 in, 4.5 cm
# HEAD DIAMETER (AT WIDEST POINT) - 2.75 in, 7 cm
# WEIGHT - Approx. 16oz.
# Made of durable polymer.
# Impact, abrasion, and water resistant
# Recharges in 90 Seconds.
# Run time = 120 minutes
# Contains 3 LED’s rated for more than 50,000 hours.
# Box Dimensions will be 13” x 8” x 4”
# Comes with DC Charger, AC Charger, nylon belt ring, and a mounting bracket.



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Went down to my cousins house last night and played with the PC3.300 Light For Life. I WILL NOT be buying this light. Oh it does what it says and recharges in 90 seconds, and it does put out 80/200 lumens on low/high. On the model though it will only go on high when and IF you hold the button. I do not like that feature. It does have two buttons, a tailcap, and a front button. It contains high capicity capacitors for the power source. Outside of the high having to manually be held down, the low works with one click and it goes to strobe with a quick double-click. Very easy to do and operate. One other thing that really turned me off, and the same thing does so with knives, and that is the light, light weight of the light. I don't want a brick, but I want something with a little heft. This is constructed of a polymer, and I'm sure it is tough stuff, but it is so damn light in my hand that it feels like a Playskool toy light. Not for me.
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5.11 pants are pretty nice. good price.. as for flash lights i get a lot more picky with what company i use.. go check out candlepowerforums and tell them what you just told us and see what kind of feed back you get.
 
Well, I'm not a flashlight expert but I know three of them who are and one has a Ph.D. I don't understand wavelengths and Cree bulbs and all that stuff. However all three suggested the 5.11 light to me. I'm just a hardcore user of a flashlights given my circumstances and livelyhood. I have to use flashlights for my work and around home.

I have two 5.11 lights and they are my favorite "go-too" lights. I have one in my bedroom always on my charger and one in my car on the charger. I bought my first one the same month 5.11 released them and have never been disappointed. They've lasted as advertised. They charge in 90 seconds and consumme very little power from power source which is important to me. I couldn't be more pleased.

Now I've got to go to candlepowerforums (who are a bunch of light snobs but know they're stuff) and learn more about this light.
 
Possibilities are endless.
I would explore my options before I settle on "the best." Likewise, I don't think you would pay respect for a reviewer who has just bought their first item of this category, simply because they have a very narrow perspective

I'm sure you've had a conversation with someone who highly recommended something when you know another option is superior while being as economical

If you go to CPF, you can get knowledge, but there's a lot of filler.

Basically, the larger the reflector, the more range/distance the light has.
If the light has more than one bulb/emitter, it will not have a very large reflector, thus making it an area light or what they call flood
Batteries power flashlights, larger the cell, the more capable the cell is to supply power for a longer length of time.

Design and User interface is vastly different between makers/manufacturers. This is your personal preference. Make sure to pick a cell you can reach for or can carry. When your light runs out of juice outside of your house, you can quickly change batteries and continue your activity. If it is a rechargeable model such as the 5.11 light shown above, your options are limited
 
Based on reviews and comments over on candlepowerforums, it's not worth getting because it just doesn't have much in the way of runtime (IIRC, the manufacturer overstates the listed runtime by a lot). If you're only ever going to use it for a few minutes between charges, sure, but if there's any chance you're going to need light for an extended period of time, there are much better options.
 
Let your mission dictate your gear. If this piece of gear will support your mission then you're fine. If you need longer run times between charging or are further away from a charging station them consider something else.

As I said I have two. The first one I bought within months of its release. The other one I bought this summer. When they start to lose their charge I just plug it in and historically it takes less 90 seconds to charge. Yes, I've timed it over 20 or 30 times to verify. Generally I find it is in the 50 to 70 seconds time frame. Occasional 90.

I found the light will stay at its default 90 lumins for an average of 55 minutes before dimming down to a lower setting to conserve. Generally I can get 1 to 1.15 hours run time total. I've turned this light on, set it by my chair and worked while timing it. The higher setting I've never used more than just a few seconds at a time anyway.

Other than a head lamp I've rarely needed a hand held torch to last much longer over continious usage. If I'm going to be out in a camping situation where I need several hours of illumination then the headlamp in on. I use the 5.11 for specific tasks such as going to get water, looking for the dog or checking out if is a two legged or four legged skunk sneaking up to barn. Again, if I run this torch down, I need a 45-90 second break anyway while it recharges.

If my mission was in a SAR situation or someplace where I'm away from a power source then I would choose this torch - again I let the mission dictate the gear.

For me, I'm rarely 20 steps from a power source to recharge and I would surmise most of us probably fall into the same category.

As a "round the house, barn, vehicle, or camp" light it is great. Those in the LEO community can grab it from the charger take it with them to the call and then return it to the charger once the call is over. They have a tactical Surefire or Streamlight with them anyway as do I.
 
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To me, there's always a step up. I admit there are better alternatives to my production flashlight, and there's no doubt there will be more just when I upgrade to the "best."

I stand by my points. Large Reflectors, Power source, new emitter technology. Possibilities are endless when you're not tied down to anything.

To me, a flashlight without a exchangeable battery pack is a weakness, and a pretty major one to myself. Battery cells dictate the performance of portable technology, cellphones, cameras. Flashlights are not the exception. The more capacity the Cell has, measured in Miliamp hours, the more run time you will have comparing to a similar setup with a battery of lesser capacity.

I don't hike a lot, but I don't carry a Flashlight charger either. With the conventional idea of exchangeable battery cells, you can carry cells that will power your gadget hours on end.

The 5.11 is powered by three unnamed LED Emitters pushing 80Lumens.
1. Unanmed LED Emitters?

If the manufacturer does not give us specifics of the LED, that is as if selling someone a car without a MPG rating. It certainly does not dictate how a flashlight or car would perform, but you will have a better idea of where it lies on the Spectrum yourself.



From a flashlight enthusiast point of view, the 5.11 just isn't a very good option. There are more options than the sole at this price range.
 
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