Gladius Upgrade

[Valor55]

I just got my Gladius back from the upgrade. They advertise a 60% increase in light. http://www.order-gear.com/subcatmfgp...73&1=1368&2=-1

As soon as it gets dark tonight I'm going outside and will post some reviews.

[Samuel]

The Seoul IS nicer/brighter than stock. IMO, the Q5 is nicer/brighter than the Seoul...

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/...d.php?t=190761

[Valor55]

Unfortunately to get the upgrade without voiding any warranty I had to go through the manufacturer and they only offered me one choice for the upgrade.

[ngcsubutterbar]

You go go inside your house and turn off the lights right?

[Valor55]

You go go inside your house and turn off the lights right?

My house isn't THAT dark. I have two Gladius flashlights. One upgraded. I'll go outside in the yard tonight and compare the output and throw between them both. Even in the house at night you can't get a good sense of the throw because it's so enclosed.

[ngcsubutterbar]

How's the strobe, seen any practical use yet?

[Valor55]

I use the strobe on building searches all the time. In the larger businesses with warehouses and large open spaces the Gladius suffered. I'm excited for the upgrade because I think that will help a great deal!!! I also use the strobe on any higher risk encounters. I used it on a search warrant into a crack house where an occupant heard us and looked out an open window near the door. I hit him with the strobe until we went in. He said later he had no idea what was outside, all he could see was a flashing light, it apparently flooded his eyes and he couldn't see anything else.

I have the constant on set to the mode where it starts out dim. I use that frequently on stealthier approaches where I might need a little bit of light but not enough to give away my position.

The low battery warning is great. When I see that I slip a couple fresh batteries in my pockets. There were plenty of times with my rechargeable lights where I suddenly didn't have any light in the middle of my call. Now I'm always good to go and haven't been caught with dead batteries in a long time.

[Valor55]

I LOVE the upgrade! It's a huuuuuuge improvement! Not only is it brighter but it looks clearer, and has better throw. At the limits of the original Gladius I found the new one to fill in the color and remove the shadows. It's a great imrpovement. I can't wait to use it at work tomorrow. I'll update based on the real world performance.

[Samuel]

Sweet!

[Valor55]

I used it Friday night at work. I _LOVE_ it! Even at dusk with a little ambient light it was able to reach across a parking lot and light up the inside of cars. I used it inside a building on a building search too. It was incredibly bright in a building with no ambient light. The strobe effect was incredible. I found it was almost too bright! I also had it approaching a suspicious subject and it really illuminated him and the surrounding area very well. It even appears bright inside with the lights on. I work again on Monday and look forward to trying it in more situations.