http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbouX88xbKI
http://www.countycomm.com/9290.html
Howdy folks quick review of the Maratac 9290 LED flashlight and other thoughts.
I am always looking for new and better ways to do things. Don't think I will give up my BlackHawk Gladius for a go to flashlight, but the 9290 has taken the place of it for my EDC (every day carry) light.
I purchased two of these from CC awhile back and they are really a great flashlight.
I really like that it is smaller than a 2 cell CR123a, uses a SINGLE AA battery and is more powerful than any pocket light I own.
I wore a large holster for the Gladius on my belt that probably alerted "those in the know" that I am of the "tactical mindset" . Now I carry my flashlight concealed as well!
As an aside, a few years back when the "tactical knives" came on the market with those pocket clips, the tell tale clips were being worn by everyone. I soon realized as I was saying to myself, "that guy has a knife and probably has other means of defense as well", others were doing the same to me!
I do not want to appear as a threat to anyone as I prefer the "gray man" approach. No need to raise the eyebrows of law enforcement or bad guys. When you have really screwed up and a bad guy targets you, you want them to be shocked that you are deploying a weapon on them.
Like I said, if the bad guys are targeting you, then you have screwed up on situational awareness or ignored your "spidey sense".
To condense the above, sheeple do not carry flashlights, knives or other things on them, so look like everyone else but don't look like "easy pickings" for a bad guy either. Also, don't look like the "bad guy" or "person of intrest" to the cops either!
So my 9290 now allows me to carry a "whole lotta flashlight" in a very compact and concealable package.
As for the flashlight, it is very well made and works as the video describes. I did have to return one of my 9290's for a failure of the switch after a few weeks of use. However, if you have any problems with any of County Comm's gear they will make it right. To be fair I have had problems with a Surefire once right of the box and they made it right as well.
Occasionally gear will fail, but as long as a company will make it right with their customers, then I can't fault them.
I wish they would have included a belt or pocket clip to attach it to a hat. It seems light enough that one could use it in that manner. Also missing is the strobe feature, but the 190 lumens will git-r-done.
I have a flashlight that gives me twice the light of my other lights, with similar run times, with one AA battery. Now I do not feel guilty when I have to run the light for long periods. AA batteries are CHEAP and it is my standardized battery for 97% of all my battery powered gear. Standardization makes logisitics EASY!!!
Hopefully I will have a detailed comparrison/review of the Blackhawk Gladius (the light which I judge all others by aka my yardstick) with the Leatherman Serac (the single CR123A version), and the Maratac 9290 someday soon.
For those that want to know my opinion of the 3, I can tell you that the tactical winner is still the Gladius (gotta love that strobe feature as well as easily adjustable light levels).
The overall winner is the Maratac 9290 with its 190 lumens light and compactness as well as price and affordibilty to operate.
The Leatherman Serac is a great work light as it is light enough to clip on your hat and bright enough to do most things, however the Serac cycles from its lowest brightness setting to the maximum. This makes it not a very good choice for a tactical flashlight as the 10-20 lumens when you first hit the switch may not blind the bad guys.
You want the Bad Guy's Reaction to be, "Ohhhhh my frickin' retina, you seared my frickin retina, OWWWWW I can't see!!!!!!!" not, "What a pathetic light, you were not trying to go all bad ass on me were you? The doctor's penlight in the prison hospital was much brighter and, unlike yours, would actually dilate my pupils!"
Later,
ZA
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Saturday, October 17, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Ramblings on isolation procedures and avoiding infectious diseases
Howdy Folks,
Flu season is upon us and someone is bound to get it in your household. When someone is sick then you need to take care of them, but while minimizing the risk to you.
I was thinking about using technology to keep an eye on those who should be confined to their rooms (barring bathroom breaks and such).
To minimize your exposure, but monitor your patient, pick up a baby monitor to listen in and advise your patient to let you know if they need anything.
Sometimes it is hard for little ones to let you know if they need anything, so a video style baby monitor may come in handy. This allows you the benefit of hearing and seeing your patient without exposing yourself and others to whatever bug they have.
Face it, by the time someone in your house is showing the signs of catching a cold, chances are you have already been exposed to the same thing! It is still prudent to was hands and sanitize EVERYTHING the infected one has come in contact with. Hopefully you escaped the infection.
If you patient symptons include coughing or sneezing, it may be wise to have them wear a facemask to prevent high speed germs from heading your way with an uncontrollable cough or sneeze.
Lets talk prevention now...
Think about things you touch everyday that someone has also touched.
Follow me through this scenario if you will...
You are at Burger King and wash your hands in the restroom before your eat (great). You open the door to the restroom to go place your order (if you touched the handle without a towel you have touched something that someone who is sick may have touched). You get in line and pay cash for your Whopper combo meal (money may have germs on it from the latte you bought at Starbucks and recieved as change from the barista), the cashier gives you back change (another potential germ contaminiation). You get your Combo meal and opt for sweet tea (at least I would), you touch the dispenser handle (yet again) and let the tea flow into your cup. Finally you reach into the community condiment bin and grab a bunch of Ketchup (and all those contaminated people before migh have too!). You add some extra salt on your burger from the salt shakers that sit on the table (which others may have used and sick little kids love to play with).Then you sit down and consume your Whopper Combo meal thinking you were safe because you washed your hands before you ate, but you have at least 7 times in the scenario I presented to have had the possibility to come into contact with something that can infect YOU.
As you go about your daily lives think about ways to minimize coming into contact with something nasty that may compromise your health!
Thanks for reading and stay safe!
Later,
ZA
Flu season is upon us and someone is bound to get it in your household. When someone is sick then you need to take care of them, but while minimizing the risk to you.
I was thinking about using technology to keep an eye on those who should be confined to their rooms (barring bathroom breaks and such).
To minimize your exposure, but monitor your patient, pick up a baby monitor to listen in and advise your patient to let you know if they need anything.
Sometimes it is hard for little ones to let you know if they need anything, so a video style baby monitor may come in handy. This allows you the benefit of hearing and seeing your patient without exposing yourself and others to whatever bug they have.
Face it, by the time someone in your house is showing the signs of catching a cold, chances are you have already been exposed to the same thing! It is still prudent to was hands and sanitize EVERYTHING the infected one has come in contact with. Hopefully you escaped the infection.
If you patient symptons include coughing or sneezing, it may be wise to have them wear a facemask to prevent high speed germs from heading your way with an uncontrollable cough or sneeze.
Lets talk prevention now...
Think about things you touch everyday that someone has also touched.
Follow me through this scenario if you will...
You are at Burger King and wash your hands in the restroom before your eat (great). You open the door to the restroom to go place your order (if you touched the handle without a towel you have touched something that someone who is sick may have touched). You get in line and pay cash for your Whopper combo meal (money may have germs on it from the latte you bought at Starbucks and recieved as change from the barista), the cashier gives you back change (another potential germ contaminiation). You get your Combo meal and opt for sweet tea (at least I would), you touch the dispenser handle (yet again) and let the tea flow into your cup. Finally you reach into the community condiment bin and grab a bunch of Ketchup (and all those contaminated people before migh have too!). You add some extra salt on your burger from the salt shakers that sit on the table (which others may have used and sick little kids love to play with).Then you sit down and consume your Whopper Combo meal thinking you were safe because you washed your hands before you ate, but you have at least 7 times in the scenario I presented to have had the possibility to come into contact with something that can infect YOU.
As you go about your daily lives think about ways to minimize coming into contact with something nasty that may compromise your health!
Thanks for reading and stay safe!
Later,
ZA
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Ramblings on vacations...
Howdy Folks,
I finally got to take a break from the brutal work schedule and take a week of fun in the sun. Well it was mostly sunny.
Anyways, I wanted to discuss improvised security methods while away from home base.
When you are in your castle, you are used to a certain level of security that gives you a level of comfort. So when one treads away from home, you may not have the same security methods available that you do at home.
I do not live in an apartment so I am not used to having neighbors. A condo is not much different than a apartment. I really hate those rooms that have adjoining doors and much to my dismay mine had one.
I did not have a alarm system so I had to improvise my own.
I read awhile back about using empty drink cans as an effective nosiemaker. Stacked in a pyramid they can make a bunch of noise it knocked over. My adjoining room door opened away from the cans, so a simple piece of floss tied a can at the bottom of the stack would be just as noisy.
A few chairs propped up against the outside balcony doors beef them up as they were not as strong as the front door.
Also consider that most condo's/apartments have an attic access door that give free run through the attic above. A simple object that will fall freely if the door is lifted will alert you that someone has been tampering in the loft. If it is on the floor when you return, then you know something was up.
Also consider doing the same for the front door with something similar that will fall free if the door was opened, but something that is not obvious.
I do prefer staying in places where there is NO maid service, so no one pilfers through your stuff while supposedly cleaning your room.
Also consider bringing your computer and valuables with you in your vehicle. IMHO your stuff is always safer with you than at some place that is not yours.
So next time you have to leave your fortress of solitude, you will have a few weapons in your arsenal of safety.
Be safe and I'll try to post more regularly after my mental health vacation.
PS Hopefully when I do some more 'picumentrys' my new Canon DLSR will make my pics turn out even better.
Take it easy, 73 and thanks for reading!
Later,
ZA
I finally got to take a break from the brutal work schedule and take a week of fun in the sun. Well it was mostly sunny.
Anyways, I wanted to discuss improvised security methods while away from home base.
When you are in your castle, you are used to a certain level of security that gives you a level of comfort. So when one treads away from home, you may not have the same security methods available that you do at home.
I do not live in an apartment so I am not used to having neighbors. A condo is not much different than a apartment. I really hate those rooms that have adjoining doors and much to my dismay mine had one.
I did not have a alarm system so I had to improvise my own.
I read awhile back about using empty drink cans as an effective nosiemaker. Stacked in a pyramid they can make a bunch of noise it knocked over. My adjoining room door opened away from the cans, so a simple piece of floss tied a can at the bottom of the stack would be just as noisy.
A few chairs propped up against the outside balcony doors beef them up as they were not as strong as the front door.
Also consider that most condo's/apartments have an attic access door that give free run through the attic above. A simple object that will fall freely if the door is lifted will alert you that someone has been tampering in the loft. If it is on the floor when you return, then you know something was up.
Also consider doing the same for the front door with something similar that will fall free if the door was opened, but something that is not obvious.
I do prefer staying in places where there is NO maid service, so no one pilfers through your stuff while supposedly cleaning your room.
Also consider bringing your computer and valuables with you in your vehicle. IMHO your stuff is always safer with you than at some place that is not yours.
So next time you have to leave your fortress of solitude, you will have a few weapons in your arsenal of safety.
Be safe and I'll try to post more regularly after my mental health vacation.
PS Hopefully when I do some more 'picumentrys' my new Canon DLSR will make my pics turn out even better.
Take it easy, 73 and thanks for reading!
Later,
ZA
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