Shining Flashlights MILES Away! (Good For Signaling?)

Testing long-distance signaling with 12 high-power flashlights. Is this really an effective way to send a signal miles away in an emergency?
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TIMESTAMPS:
Intro: 00:00
Explanation: What Are We Doing?: 00:39
Flashlight Test Explained: 01:13
Which Lights are We Taking?: 02:15
What's the Point of Doing This?: 04:36
The Test Begins: 04:54
EDC Flashlights: 05:08
Hotrod Lights: 07:51
Laser Flashlights (LEPs): 09:12
High-Power Lights: 10:39
Throwers: 11:55
Super-Bright Flashlights: 14:12
Dual-Channel Light: 15:59
Test Wrap-up: 16:42
Conclusion - How Effective Are Flashlights for Signaling?: 16:54
Thanks For Watching!: 18:40

[@seektruth1215]

One of the best flashlight tests of all time thank you 🎉

[@forrestgumpv9049]

Yes, I agree with you. 😊

[@Optimus_Prime.]

Very informative & entertaining clip. Whoever brain stormed this one deserves a round of applause!

[@ethan-lumencraft-]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@dlschgo]

This is the first video of yours I watched and you are a very effective presenter--at least in the top 1% of everyone on KZbin. And when it comes to this subject matter, you've become my Go-To on flashlights and illumination. Impressive!

[@timtaylor8557]

I was very impressed by how even the smallest light was visible. I think a lot of this has to do with the nature of LED being so intense when looked at straight on. What I loved most about this video though was the impressive arsenal of flashlights including some that i've never even heard of. I may want to add some of these to my collection. 😁

[@propdoctor21564]

Being somewhat of a collector of tactical flashlights this was a very informative and entertaining test... Even considering the brightness of these lights I was somewhat surprised at how noticeable they were at that distance.... Also interesting is how much difference it actually made when there were no other lights around on the mountain as opposed to when there were in the dunes.

[@Tiemdenpin]

Finally, what I was most looking forward to has been done by you guys, thank you team !

[@FalconFXICCY]

Not surprising that the LEPs, SBT90.2, SFT40 and W1/2 based lights would perform the best in this condition, especially from the dunes as opposed to from the butte side. Without light pollution, the smaller EDC lights can still function as beacons from the side of the butte. So, as long as line of sight is clear at night in the wilderness, even a cellphone light should be visible for miles out... The more interesting bit here is that the higher candela you go up, the more important directional line of sight becomes, while the higher lumens you go up, the more visible it's going to be from wider direction... In pragmatic terms, lost in the wilderness, you're better off with a floody signal.

[@ethan-lumencraft-]

Assuming there aren't any other lights around, a floody flashlight will definitely be easier to signal with. ON thee other hand, if you're trying to manually flash out a pattern like SOS, it would be easier with a throwy light as long as you know where the target is. Throwy lights are also going to be much more efficient for the same range, so there is a tradeoff. I didn't even think of testing the cellphone lights that when we were up there! I don't think it would have worked at that distance since they are extremely low candela, but it would have been cool to test!

[@FalconFXICCY]

You might be able to make the cellphone light out from the butte, but probably not from the dunes. But I know for a fact that it does work under 2 miles. We have done it from the top of Glacier Point to the Yosemite Village in Yosemite National Park, and that line of sight is about 1.5 miles.... Who knows for how much farther. Something you can test out later.

[@forrestgumpv9049]

👍👍 THANK YOU !!! For making the video !! I feel campers and hikers can better choose a light that will give accurate results in an emergency. That took a lot of planning and $$ and work to do. Great Job !!

[@MADHIKER777]

Great idea to do this. Amazed that the little pocket edc lights were visible!

[@CloudSpecter]

Awesome video! Great list of lights for the comparison really enjoyed it!

[@hedrickwetshaves1997]

This is so relevant. Thank you for making this video FUN!

[@TheCoachMc]

Great job explaining the difference of lumens vs candela, thanks!

[@Muonium1]

At 8:00 I actually think the apparent color is much less to do with any camera filters than it is simply due to the intrinsic color of air. 18 miles is a very significant chunk of lower atmosphere to be looking through and the blue end of the spectrum from any light source at the opposing end of an air column that thick is going to be seriously Rayleigh scattered out of the beam (the reason for blue sky and the blue color of bright flashlight beams near the source), leaving the source looking much more orange and red than it would at closer distances. Note the silhouette of the mountain itself on the horizon appears blue for the same reason (the probable origin of the line "purple mountain majesty").

[@ethan-lumencraft-]

This is a great point, blue light does scatter faster. However the effect was probably strengthened by the particular lens used on that camera - it was wide open @ f1.7, which causes a distinct reddish fringing around bright objects due to its coating and design.

[@quickcuts3000]

@@ethan-lumencraft- chromatic aberration

[@ethan-lumencraft-]

@@quickcuts3000 yes

[@georgedavall9449]

This is a great comment, well presented, by one sharp person!

[@markifi]

✗drinking water ✗tent/tarp ✗food ✗sleeping bag ✓seven flashlights

[@wayneberry8703]

Great demonstration of all those torches.

[@LaGgY42o]

Great video, glad to be seeing more content! I really wanna try this with my Maxa Beam or 2x W Pro's now, just gotta find friends for the receiving end...

[@scottsellers68]

About time someone did this, thanks guys 👍

[@confuseatronica]

This is part 1. Part 2 is setting up a flashlight that can connect to your phone with usbc or bluetooth, and can flicker the beam to send data that's picked up by the phone on the other side. You can blinkyblink SOS all you want but nobody's gonna DO anything unless they understand what your emergency is. Imagine a phone camera app where you point it at a bunch of lights and it checks to see if any of them are modulated with data in one of a few different standards, and then prints the text on the screen, with a little arrow to which light is doing it. (and yeah I know there's apps for this already but I want them to A: connect to a strong light not just blink the led phone light or the screen, and B: tries more than one modulation scheme on every light because you need to be able to rescue people you never met)

[@randym.4209]

What a cool test! Thanks for sharing

[@jaegyugwak7729]

Awesome video. Thanks for the great job guys!

[@floyd2386]

Excellent video! If you ever decide to do a part 2, it'd be interesting to see different colors and color temperatures compared to see how much of a difference that makes.

[@corvardus]

I would think that green would be best as the eye is most sensitive to that colour. Especially if you are in a forest of white light something obvious to distinguish you from the background would be better for signaling. I would like to see a video like this too out in the field. So... back up that mountain 😀

[@vapinbachelor289]

​@@corvardusunless a colorblind man like myself is searching for your light!!😂

[@cinemoriahFPV]

​@@vapinbachelor289you would still see it just wouldn't be green

[@CageyTroller]

I was thinking about this as well. Red and green head lamp lights and such. I wonder how they would be seen if possible

[@JohnIsAScone]

Would be cool to see SOS feature as well. However, i understand that someone might actually think someone needs help...

[@jaymedina3142]

Brilliant idea! Very informative. Thanks for doing this.

[@georgedavall9449]

This was one CRAZY Good video !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Appreciate the massive effort that went into it. Lot of great comments in here! 👍✌🔦😊

[@udp]

Thanks for the video. Nice job. Pretty useful and interesting.

[@bigmac3006]

Fantastic vid!!

[@kodiaktangent]

Awesome job guys!

[@wilx2703]

Great video idea! Much appreciated

[@KeyBored101]

This is only the second video of yours that I've seen, I subscribed from the first video. I think I'm going to have way more than the seven flashlights I already bought in the last 3 months

[@ethan-lumencraft-]

Looks like you'll have to stop watching to save your wallet ;)

[@Stevens_EDC_Reviews]

I see you brought the Wuben X3 also. Nice

[@thelockpickinglebowski633]

Great test!

[@cvheugten]

Very smart thinking. All reviewers do the same and you make a difference. My compliments!

[@TopDog8762]

That was simply awesome.

[@wuffwuff9989]

Great video Matt.

[@parjau4554]

Very useful to know. If you are in trouble up on a mountain, even with a smallish flashlight, it is worth SOSing a nearby town.

[@davidiossi3751]

That’s why the strobe and SOS features are prominent in thrower designs. I bought an Olight Marauder Mini for emergency 🆘 purposes. Thanks for promoting these emergency 🚨 items.

[@gonzalez7805]

Great video ideas guys

[@mdlassel]

man, what an awesome video.

[@stevevw34]

Always wanted to know the same thing , sweet thanks

[@practicalguy973]

Great information! Maybe next time try pointing the light at a wider white surface like your coat to see if that is more or less visible. Also using the SOS and beacon modes.

[@tomb6269]

Great video!!!

[@AudibleVisibIe]

This is amazing. You earned a sub

[@normrubio]

Really cool video. Thx

[@geroynashegovremeni]

Unique ❤thank you so much for this knowledge

[@randomescu]

Very nice! I always wanted to do this with my AcebeamK75 from 5km away, 3.1 miles.

[@johna2193]

I enjoyed this video very much. Please consider doing a part two with some of the bargain brands like Wurkkos, Sofirn and especially Convoy.

[@naUoNmaI]

Nice video. Just missed watching you try with a diffuser that would make you visible from all directions..

[@ethan-lumencraft-]

That would have been pretty cool, I didn't even think of that! We did have diffused video lights illuminating my face, we probably could have aimed those outwards too

[@B_r_u_c_e]

Thank you.

[@davenacrelli8538]

I have the OLight Marauder 2 and that thing is a beast!!!

[@balinoob1837]

Really like the direction your channel is heading!!

[@douglasberg4681]

I own more then 70 flashlights which at least twelve of them were in your review right now. This is how reviews are supposed to be done, best review I have ever seen. Thanks for all your hard work on this greatly appreciated! By the way was this in South California or Arizona?

[@a_xios]

nice! I don't understand English very well. a question: Which has the greatest range? distance

[@zaz5190]

Thanks for sharing this great test. Just curious what if you switch the two sets of lights, will the ones you were observing be easier to find? Like the ones you were flashing on hilltop.

[@Ein_Westfale_im_Rheinland]

Danke, sehr interessant und eindrucksvoll. Das sind Einblicke die man sonst nicht bekommt. Besonders da viele (zumindest ich) sich sicherlich die Frage gestellt haben wie weit man überhaupt gesehen wird ( ob man jetzt gesehen werden will oder nicht) Anders herum wäre es auch interessant zu wissen wie viel Licht man machen kann ohne entdeckt zu werden. Mit verschiedenen Lampen Varianten (COB?) Auf kürzere Distanz.

[@kmx13]

Very cool! Thanks guys!!!!

[@ianmaw66]

Very interesting and unique video, thanks.

[@KeithMorgan]

Very cool test. Would be interesting to try the different color Osram emitters

[@ethan-lumencraft-]

Colored emitters would have been a really fun test!

[@LumenChaser]

Ah awesome video I always wanted to try my high power throwers at far distances, you should have brought a weltool w4 pro or imalent sr32 to the mountain that would have looked awesome from the ground view

[@ethan-lumencraft-]

I wish I had an SR32 and W4 to take with me 🙃

[@FalconFXICCY]

Considering you can read a book by the end lux at 4km out with the W4 Pro, it wouldn't surprise me if you can spot the light pointed at you from 200km out.

[@dinner_workingsly]

Great vid…looks like the Rigby area.

[@android584]

I always wondered if a torch is impressive when I shine it from a conservation park to beach areas 2-3km away. Considering how bright street lights are I assumed correctly that it wouldn't be blowing people away.

[@rudy199020]

I Have Olight Marauder 2 , Nitercore P35i will be better ?

[@matthedge22]

Great idea, great execution👍👍

[@aussiehardwood6196]

Would have been cool to see some blinkies like beacon, strobe etc. But not disappointed, VERY cool test.

[@gr8fulbear51]

You should redo the test with a variety of lights including some side body lights from rovyvon and this time tie the lights to a small cord and spin them in a circular arc to get peoples attention. Note. The amber rovyvon A8 would make an excellent signal light when spun on a cord due to the various flashing modes. It would be good to find a light that does sos code and spin it in a circle too. Great video.

[@Giggler.]

Impressive test, what radios were u using for this test?

[@CTROCK]

What happens to the MS18 a 100,000 lumen! By the way cool video!

[@ethan-lumencraft-]

The MS18 is about ~400kcd, so it should appear similar to the MK38 in the video at 11:22

[@RubiconV]

Fun video but my little sister wants her hoodie back 😂

[@unimatrix82]

Someone probably was looking up at that mountain you're on and thinking is that a UFO up there lol.

[@mrsmith324]

Good test thank you. Now can you redo the test with the flashlights in strobe mode? Because if I wanna signal somebody that’s the mode I would use yes? And one question why did you NOT use the very flashlight Matt had designed and made in china that you sell I bought one and I love it. I use it every Night on my 10 acres of property in The middle of nowhere Texas.

[@RealLagu]

I dont know if I just missed it, but you shouldve tried the strobo modes on the more powerful lights, cause that is what reslly draws the attention

[@Shahyan008]

1 amazing test, at far tent didn't matter all them look yellow at least in the video. 2 would've been great if you did this test after a heavy rain. Cuz I see Alot of dust and fog

[@user-ox5ml5ee9v]

It would be cool to see how something like weltool pro 4 or astrolux mf05 performs

[@tomallo99]

Man, how amazing it would be to see one of those 800 million candela ww2 searchlights from this perspective... Quick calculation gives just about 1 lux from this distance, thats more than enough to actually read lol

[@danmuscarella785]

After watching this video it seems to me that the output not the throw of the light is what counts.

[@user-nu3tc3dr6l]

I wish that you could run this same test but use the ace beam w30 lep flashlight and the ace beam k75 and the ace beam k70 that would be really appreciated

[@octosquatch.]

I've done this from about 15 miles. Was visible on the mountain with just a AA size maglite.

[@colorblind1983]

Nurds!!! 🤪 Sweet video!!! 😊

[@user-ox5ml5ee9v]

Now this was a test video but the real question is , would someone come for help? In my country even if they see the light signal , i doubt anyone would even care

[@bruschi8148]

Would love to see Astrolux MF04 non s version, Amutorch DM90, Wuben A1, Acebeam K75, Lumintop GT90, and the Astrolux MF05 from a farther distance. These are currently the the longest throwers in the order they are in. I do have the MF04 and its insane

[@siddiqgamesyt3354]

Maxtorch Owleyes:

[@be4885]

​@@siddiqgamesyt3354 next is maxabeam , diy searchlight

[@GetCTOwned]

I'd like to see this done with Matt's 5000 Lumen Maglite drop in on a 2D twin 26650 conversion that has had the switch mod done.

[@edwinchw]

i think you should do group 2 on the group 1 mountain and film it again from group 2 pov that will look diff

[@zedular098]

For the smallest flashlight no wonder that they could see it, human eye has quite nice night vision, I know that lit cigarette is visible from >100m away... But nice video

[@quickcuts3000]

great video, and great idea. bravo fellas!

[@james10739]

It would be cool to see one of the laser ones hitting a minor on the other side

[@PiercingTheDarkness]

I feel like it would hold people's attention to watch the whole video more, if you tested everything from large to small. Right from the start the smallest was visible, so most won't bother watching the rest. Just my thoughts. Great test though.

[@ethan-lumencraft-]

That's a great suggestion, it would have been pretty cool. It kind of got spoiled when the i3T worked as well as it did right away lol

[@yourfilipinotv6477]

Now, convinced myself to get an EDCable LEP than with a high candela LED with strobe.

[@Tyrant-Terminator]

Wow great video, ❤❤

[@cpufrost]

It would be interesting to add a 1W 525nm diode laser to the mix!

[@stevenperron3619]

I wish you had a Weltool W4. It would have blown away everything.

[@ethan-lumencraft-]

What I really wished I had was the Maxtoch Owl-eyes pro, which is just under 4 million candela. Sadly I don't own either light

[@Foxholeatheist]

These would be great for signaling at night on the water.

[@danielelise7348]

Would be cool to do an emitter shootout,Osram,nichia,Cree,Luminus etc,see who comes out on top.🤔

[@BenBenF1]

Astrolux MF05 and 100 km distance please!

[@ducttaperulestheworl]

Ok this is a really cool field test. But I'm extremely curious about that green bottle. Is that a glow in the dark bottle or is it just green?

[@ethan-lumencraft-]

It's a GITD Nalgene :)

[@biggrex]

@14:25 oh no, no footage from the other side to see how it looks Imalent MS12 Mini :(

[@margaretandwaldemarelwerto7719]

I am sorry men but you need to update your knowledge the most powerful flashlight in the world was Imalent MS18 so far and now SR32 But by no means a great video and a very good idea, I wanted to do such a test personally some time ago but unfortunately I can't gather the crew

[@ethan-lumencraft-]

We are testing the SR32 now, and comparing it to the MS18 and X75

[@heathbecker420]

To effectively signal with a flashlight you sweep it moderately *quickly* across the horizon line 3 times then *slowly* 3 times then *quickly* 3 times again. This gives any observer on the horizon line an S.O.S. pattern signal of 3 "dots" 3 "dashes" and 3 final "dots" (...- - - ...) wait 5 seconds and repeat the 3 quick, 3 slow, and 3 quick pass sequence again. Do this for 1 minute out of every 10 min to conserve battery power if you think you need to or do it constantly until you run out of power if you know people are actively searching for you.

[@lionheart_2281]

Wish you’d tested SOS and strobe mode! Opportunity missed or maybe an idea for next time, god I love your videos mate, amazing real life testing

[@quickcuts3000]

so the real search and rescue could show up by mistake?!? get your head out of the social media bubble for a second, "mr. lumen".

[@nicholaslance9529]

It's ok to test for just 2 sec! I use to do strobe light pointing at the base camp of Mount Kota Kinabalu from the ground hotel. The people over there are reacting back with strobe too 😂

[@quickcuts3000]

@@nicholaslance9529 why did you think this was a relevant comment? this is a long edited video with around a dozen-plus torches... why didn't you bring up "test for 2 sec".

[@ATTACKofthe6STRINGS]

How, on God’s green earth, did that tiny little light make it that far? I mean, you said it: street lights and house lights were visible. I guess it shouldn’t have been too surprising, but that’s still somehow amazing! I guess light, and eyeballs, are amazing, is all that means.

[@user-ts4xi2dy1t]

What kind of walkie talkies are you guys using?

[@ethan-lumencraft-]

Just our cellphones

[@user-ts4xi2dy1t]

@@ethan-lumencraft- 10-4

[@kimmelton3697]

You should see just how far you can see it from across a large body of water.

[@GeneralKato]

You could light a match and the flash would be visible.