flashlight Archives

Intro

Flashlight technology continues to improve, LED technology and batteries made from lithium and various electrode types have greatly improved many product lines. The days of oversized lights running on alkaline cells are long gone, replaced by ever smaller and brighter options. Today we are looking at one of those products, the Olight Ark Pro Lite flashlight. The Ark pro is a very compact multi-purpose light with various features making it very handy for a daily use tool. With rechargeable battery that comes with multiple charging options, and shift-on-the-fly controls giving the user a focused beam, a flooding beam, and even a UV option. Additionally there is a green laser pointer built into the unit. All his in a handsome little light you can have delivered on your Amazon Prime account for $100.

olight, ark pro, flashlight, laser, ultra violet, uv, charging port — here you can see the USB-C charging port open, as well as the coltrol panel

Unboxing the Ark Pro Flashlight

As I opened the Olight Ark Pro, it was a little reminiscent of Apple products. Nice packaging with intuitive directions built-in as the packaging opened further. As is typical with Lithium powered products, there are various warning stickers on the product. As well as others that indicate operational features. A charging cable is also included that uses the typical Olight magnet affixed charging port. As well as a card listing the various models of Ark Pro and the functions of the controls and how you can customize them.

olight, ark pro, flashlight, laser, ultra violet, uv, — the laser pointer located centrally

The light itself feels very robust, its heavier than I anticipated which often gives the feeling of added value. The controls are very simple, and tactile with clicks and smooth movements. I hate to bring it back to Apple product’s but it almost feels similar to the older ipod’s before touch screens were incorporated.

olight, ark pro, flashlight, laser, ultra violet, uv, gun belt, safariland, holster, — the Olight Ark Pro fits nicely on a gun belt without cluttering things up too much between my **Safariland holster** and **CRKT Knife**

Olight Ark Pro Features

The solid construction of the Ark Pro gives a strong feeling of rugged quality. The construction also includes a strong dual belt-clip for carrying the light a variety of ways. And the compact slender size makes it easy to carry all the time, much like a pocket knife. And the dual-charging options give you a variety of choices to keep it powered up. And the magnet base that attaches one of the two charging methods also doubles as a hands-free mounting option.

Adjusting the brightness is done by holding down the power button. The Ark Pro cycles through different brightness levels until the button is released.

olight, ark pro, flashlight, laser, ultra violet, uv, mechanic, engine, — as one who frequents the underside of automotive hoods, I find the Ark Pro very handy for quick and easy lighting. Its magnetic base holds it tightly against the hood of vehicles

This light would be a great tool for maintenance and auto technicians, its quick operation and go-everywhere size is great for small places. The Ark Pro includes both a flood-style LED light, and a sharper spot-style LED light. And the UV light is great for identifying leaking systems like coolant or refrigerant dyes. And the laser pointer would also come in handy for pointing out locations to others without needing to get hands-on.

olight, ark pro, flashlight, laser, ultra violet, uv, flood, spot, — showing the two different LED’s emittance, above is the flood light, and below is the spot light. Both seen in pure darkness approximately 10 feet from wall

Real Use

This is not necessarily a light to take the place of a high lumen light you might need in a defensive situation. Though it is way better than no flashlight, it is more useful at distances inside 15-20 feet. On its highest setting it can be useful a bit further. Its comfortable to carry, making it easy to have with you anytime and anywhere.

It is fantastic during camping trips, easily keeping small areas lit. As well as intense light in small areas. It would be a great tool to keep on a tool or gun-belt, as a general all-purpose flashlight.

olight, ark pro, flashlight, laser, ultra violet, uv, EDC, EDC Dump, shadow systems, dr920, ruko, — the Ark Pro fits in perfectly with other EDC items like my **Shadow Systems DR920**

I’ve heard plenty of community lore about Olight products. Often what I hear is negative, but this is my first experience with any of their products. So I can only comment on what I have experience with. I have used other branded lights from popular manufacturers, and up to this point I’ve never had any issues with any of them. I look forward to keeping this Olight Ark Pro in my daily use to see how it stands up against its competition.

olight, ark pro, flashlight, laser, ultra violet, uv, belt, gun belt, — the Ark Pro Lite fits perfectly onto a gun-belt

Conclusion

I think the Olight Ark Pro will fill a great spot in my tool collection. Whether it be working on my car in the driveway, or searching for blood in the dark forest as the sun sets. It has a great set of features, and the simple operation make it a slam dunk for a general purpose flashlight. You can order yours direct through your Amazon account here.

-CBM

Preface

Today we touch on a brilliant subject (sorry for the cheesy pun), that subject is weapon lights. These bright illuminating tools when used together with a firearm can give incredible dexterity when in potentially dangerous situations. I say that because the implication with weapon lights is that they are mainly used for shooting in the dark. An activity, that is not a typical sport shooting condition. Unless you consider defensive shooting a sport. Of course there are some sporting purposes where weapon lights can come in handy, but lets get into the beam of this topic; today’s subject is the Nightstick LGL-160-T Turbo weapon light.

Nightstick, nightstick weapon light, LGL-160, silencerco, omega, omega 36m, Trijicon, trijicon MRO,

The Nightstick LGL-160-T

Among the various lights made by Nightstick, the LGL-160-T is designed for long guns. Like other popular models the LGL-160-T can be mounted in a variety of ways, and can be used in conjunction with a remote pressure pad.

With 800 Lumens, the LGL-160-T gives a bright beam of white light. This can be very important when the moon is out, and you need to put a shot where it counts. You can use either dual CR123 batteries like most comparable units, or the single rechargeable 18650 LI-ion battery.

The impressive kit that comes with the light, includes various mounting options for both picatinny rail mounting and M-Lok mounting. There is also included brackets for offset 45-degree mounting. And a push-button end-cap can be used or a remote pressure switch pad. They even include a couple cable management blocks to help tie down the wires and pressure pad.

Nightstick, nightstick weapon light, LGL-160, AR-15, Aero precision, yhm Fat cat, suppressor, remote switch, pressure pad — you can see how the cable block can be used to manage cables

Features and Specifications

Features

LED technology
Features both tail cap and 6″ Remote Pressure Switches
Momentary or constant-on function
Standard and offset Picatinny rail mounts
Sharp focused beam for distance illumination
Aircraft-grade 6061-T6 aluminum housing w/Type III hard-anodized finish
Beam distance rated at 632 meters
IP-X7 Waterproof
Impact & chemical resistant
Serialized for personal identification
2 CR123 batteries (included)

Specifications

High Lumens: 800
High Candela: 100,000
Drop Rating: 2 m
Water Rating: IP-X7 Waterproof
High Runtime (h): 2
Case Material: 6061-T6 Aluminum
Body Color: Black
Quantity of Batteries: 2
Package Contents: Weapon light with standard Picatinny mount w/thumb screw and tail cap switch, Remote pressure switch (6” cable), 45º offset Picatinny mount w/thumb screw, pressure switch rail mount, wire management clamp, (2) CR123 batteries, 2.5mm Allen wrench, Alcohol prep pad, Adhesive-backed Velcro mounting strip, Instruction manual
Warranty: Limited Lifetime Warranty

Dimensions

Length: 5.3 in (135 mm)
Width: 9 in (23 mm)
Depth: 0.9 in (23mm)
Weight: 6.3 oz (179 g)
Diameter: 0.9 in (23 mm)
Head Diameter: 1.4 in (36mm)

Mounting the Nightstick LGL-160

Using just the included tools, it was easy to mount the LGL-160-T in a variety of configurations on multiple firearms. I definitely prefer the M-Lok mounting system, as I don’t care for the large thumb-wheel of the picatinny mounts. For that matter, even on lower priced products these are unnecessary. And on expensive products they are unforgivable. The low-profile of the M-Lok mounts have far fewer snag points.

Nightstick, nightstick weapon light, LGL-160, AR-15, Aero precision, yhm Fat cat, suppressor, — note pressure pad mounting system and cable block, as well as the stubby **YHM Fat Cat suppressor**

This is also where the tediousness of every person’s individual preference dictates how buttons are mounted and cables are run. Who am I to say whether one way is better than another? I suppose if it works for you then rock what you’ve got.

Shooting Illuminated

Shooting with the Nightstick LGL-160-T made me appreciate my mounting location even more. The two o’clock position on my rifle’s handguard positioned it perfectly to keep light obscured from my aiming eye. The Trijicon MRO kept any reflective light off the suppressor or handguard obscured.

My target area on the other hand was not obscured, the bright white light greatly improved identification of the target area. It also doubles as an aiming crutch. At closer distances the white circle of light was the same size as the view through my sight. This meant that I could simply put my target in the middle of the white circle and pull the trigger.

The remote pressure pad was nice for operating the light. It gives the choice between short bursts of illumination, or you can push the larger button and with a click you get sustained light. The pad can be mounted in a variety of ways using the M-Lok or picatinny options.

Nightstick, nightstick weapon light, LGL-160

Pros and Cons

With an impressive beam of white light, the Nightstick LGL-160-T makes shooting in the dark much more detailed. The included mounting kit was a huge plus, allowing many different ways to mount and configure it. It also come in at a significantly lower price than some competitors, and a comparable price to others. You can also appreciate it being made in America by Texans. Many of these lights get pretty warm as they are used, and the Nightstick got about as warm as any other.

nightstick, lgl-160-t, weapon light, — in pure darkness at approximately 80 yards, you can see the beam (left) of the Nightstick LGL-160-T compared to a popular competitor

The only thing I could counter all that with; no matter how customizable products like this are, you will always want just a little more. Whether it be a tiny amount of occlusion with handguards or other accessories, or almost lining up with a slot or mounting hole. But to be fair this is the case with any of these products. Manufacturers have to keep their products universal enough for as many configurations as possible. This may come at the cost of universal adaptability. The two different included pressure pad mounting options are fine, though I wish they could be a touch lower profile.

Final Thoughts

Having used the Nightstick LGL-160-T for a while now, I have been quite happy with it. I have several comparable lights from other manufacturers, and the Nightstick does everything they do. And the Nightstick comes with a great little kit of mounting options as well. With other options costing as much as three or four hundred dollars, the $195 dollar price of the Nightstick delivered next day from Amazon is pretty agreeable. I look forward to a bright future from behind this light.