FOG HORN
2017 Twobirds Flying Publication
Streamlight ProTac HL-X®.
Copyright 2017, Towbirds Flying Publication. All Rights Reserved.
Streamlight ProTac HL-X®.
2017
Streamlight ProTac HL-X®. By: Sal Palma
We live through situations where preparedness and training is what carries the day; for me, in recent history, it was Hurricane IRMA. Most things in life pale in comparison to seeing a chunk of an oak tree flying overhead at 90+ miles per hour in near total darkness. It’s times like these where a professional lighting instrument makes all the difference in the world. I have to chuckle, because I did not time my review of Streamlight’s ProTac HL-X handheld flashlight to coincide with IRMA, but I sure as hell was happy to have it on hand. Imagine pouring rain driven so hard that it feels like small needles puncturing your skin while power transformers exploded in an almost musical rhythm, then immediately everything going pitch black. Is that log on the lawn really a log or a gator displaced by the storm? Light, the single most powerful development in all of human history, the ability to illuminate, has done more to advance mankind than even the invention of the wheel. Imagine what our cave dweller ancestors would have done with a handheld flashlight capable of surviving unforgiving conditions with an engine capable of projecting a 1000 lumen beam into the darkness.
A C4® LED engine combined with a highly polished reflector and lens produces a beam so tight that you can almost walk on it. It was genuinely impressive to see 1000 lumens project through airborne debris and rain in total darkness. The ProTac HL-X continues with Streamlight’s patented TEN-TAP® Programming making three program modes accessible: 1. High / strobe / low 2. High only 3. Low/ medium / high (my preferred setting) Changing modes, like the name implies, requires ten taps on the cap switch and holding the switch on the 10th tap until the light shuts down. For 2017, Streamlight made the ProTac HL-X a dual fuel light – the customary 2 CR123A
Copyright 2017, Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved
Streamlight ProTac HL-X®.
batteries, or the optional and rechargeable 18650 lithium ion batteries.
Run-times are impressive as well. With the CR123A power source and the light set to high (1000 lumens) you can expect 1.25 hours of run-time. If you’re using the lithium rechargeable 18650 battery you get a slightly longer 1.5 hours. On Medium - 400 lumens: run-time is 3 hours on CR123A batteries or 3.5 hours on 18650 lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. On Low - 65 lumens: run-time is 20 hours on CR123A batteries or 23 hours 18650 lithium-ion rechargeable batteries Strobe used for signaling or disorienting: runs 2.5 hours (CR123A batteries); runs 3.25 hours (18650 batteries)
2017
IPX7 waterproof, which means that it will remain water resistant to a depth of 1 meter for 30 minutes. The light is O-ring sealed at the head and tail caps. As part of routine maintenance, I apply a very light coating of silicon grease on both O-rings to preserve the light’s watertight integrity. There are no polymer body parts that can degrade and break; Streamlight uses an anodized aluminum construction that will survive a 2 meter drop on a hard surface. One of my favorite features is the unbreakable spring steel pocket clip. It’s extremely secure, gentle on garments and works with MOLLE webbing. Streamlight also ships the ProTac HL-X with a nylon belt holster. The ProTac HL-X light, from one of the nation’s leading suppliers of tactical lighting, underwent real world testing in high winds, pouring rain and partial submersion courtesy of IRMA. The ProTac HL-X came through like a champ, illuminating the way through a horrendous natural disaster. You’ll definitely want to add one to your kit. -
SP
Manufacturer Specifications 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. The ProTac HL-X is an extremely robust professional handheld lighting tool. The light is
9.
High Lumens: 1,000 Run Time on High: 1.25 hours Run Time on Low: 20.00 hours Max Candela: 27,100 Battery Type: CR123A Lithium, 18650 Lithium Ion Battery Battery Quantity: 1 - 2 Length: 5.43 inches (13.79 centimeters) Weight: 5.70 ounces (161.59 grams) 6.20 ounces (175.77 grams) Colors: Black
Copyright 2017, Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved