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Old July 28, 2008, 09:01 PM   #1
Superhouse 15
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I have Tactical Balls (product review)

Now that I have your attention....

Brite Strike Tactical Balls:
http://www.brite-strike.com/

They are a golf ball sized LED light you throw or roll. The rolling gives a strobe-like effect and the weight of the 2032 batteries causes them to eventually land light side up. It uses two (included) batteries each and the case is hard plastic.

Now my house has a wide open plan and my infant son's room is across from my bedroom. I have no choice, if something happens I have to head in that direction to get to him. These little wonders let me throw some light into the areas of the house I have to move past in a hurry. I can see an advantage if you have to move down stairs in your home also. I can clear some of the bigger areas like my kitchen and office quickly and adress any threat there as I move across to the boy's room. If you have a similar situation, give these a thought.

Part of the fire station where I work is a training facility. With the assistance of a fire Chief, I tested them on a couple of students. When some early students were sitting in a classroom I rolled one in. Their attention was focused on the ball as it rolled across the room and I was able to step in unnoticed. When a few more students arrived in the class, same result. Even the two who had seen it before followed it across with their eyes before turning towards the door that I had already entered. I tried it at shift change at the station also. Rolled three into the station. As before all eyes followed it across the room except for one Lieutenant, who yelled " if that thing explodes you're a dead man!" and closed his eyes.

Pros: it's cheap $40. It works. It's simple. The batteries are 2032s. Same as the red dot Tru Glo scopes on a couple of my Ars and AKs and other common red dots. Rolling them and tossing them into a dark locker room onto the tile did not break them or scratch the lens. They have a good strobe effect that is a little dazzling. They fill a real need in my home defense plan. Shipping was fast, the box was well packed and arrived intact.

Cons: They are listed on the site as "> 13000 MCD" output. Don't know what that measurement is but don't think that it is lumens. It's bright, but not blinding. It does not strobe or flash, it's just an effect of the rolling action. On thick carpet sometimes it will not roll to a stop with the light facing up. The case is good for beside my bed but it's more like a cell phone case than MOLLE gear. I don't think it would last forever in the field. It's hard to get the last ball out of the case.

Neutral: It takes some training to get used to not looking at it roll when you throw it. If you follow it with your eyes then naturally you are distracted too. I had to practice letting it go and concentrating on what I am doing. Also, the site lists them as LEO only. I don't see why and don't care for that policy. I ordered them with no ID and they made no attempt to verify that I was an LEO (I'm not) they just took my money. The manual is obviously written by a Chineese intern learning English. It's not "please to wear the phonebooth for free regualtion" bad, but you can tell they're not from around here.

If you think you might have a need for these in your home defense plan or have a need to get a distracting light to someplace in a hurry, give them a look.
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Old July 29, 2008, 10:33 PM   #2
NickM
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Ha Ha

It cracks me up just to think of all of the things that went through my head just in the moments between reading the title and actually reading the reveiw.

They sound pretty cool though. I was watching the new show Flashpoint the other night and they had the same type of deal but it was a camera. It landed up after a few rolls of course.

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Old August 3, 2008, 02:03 PM   #3
Highwayman
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Very interesting. Thanks for the heads up. Though, I have to agree with Nick, I had NO idea what I was going to be reading prior to opening the link.
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Old August 3, 2008, 02:18 PM   #4
bennnn
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Quote:
It cracks me up just to think of all of the things that went through my head just in the moments between reading the title and actually reading the reveiw.
I halfway expected it to be a pic of some guys tea bag painted black with a flashlight mounted on the bottom "rail"......

Those sound pretty cool though,
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Old August 3, 2008, 02:22 PM   #5
tranks
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Quote:
TACTICAL BALLS

Rolling - Illumination
Distraction - Disorientation - Device

• Max Output: 2 White LED's (>13 000 MCD)
• Runtime: Up To 20 hours
• Batteries: (2 X CR2032 each light) Included
• Tactical Deployment Pouch
• Package Contents: 3 Tactical Balls,
Batteries, Tactical Deployment Pouch
Reg Price: $60.00

PROMOTIONAL PRICE.$40.00

thats a pretty cool idea. i wish they had some pictures of them, from what they do show it looks like it just points straight up.

can you take some pics of your balls for us?
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Old August 3, 2008, 02:36 PM   #6
bennnn
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Quote:
can you take some pics of your balls for us?
I knew that would happen,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
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Old August 3, 2008, 03:33 PM   #7
johnwilliamson062
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One of my friends in High Schools Dad was in the air force researh branch and ended up with a lot of toys from aircraft manufacturers. Lockheed gave him a few of these when he went to visit them as a novelty item in a bag of presents. Some went off when they hit a wall, some had sound. They were neat, but I don't plan on buying them.
I could never figure out why they gave them to an AF General and not a USMC or Army.
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Old August 4, 2008, 11:50 PM   #8
b.thomas
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here's a place with some pics I got from google........interesting little gizmos.

http://www.xdtalk.com/forums/xdtalk-...ion-balls.html
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Old August 13, 2008, 03:22 PM   #9
ElectricHellfire
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Those are actually kinda cool. Not what I expected. LOL
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Old August 13, 2008, 05:16 PM   #10
bclark1
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If they weren't called "Tactical" would you still buy them?

I love the "Tactical Deployment Pouch" too - not a storage pouch or belt carrier, not even a scro... - er, but they are all over the buzz-words "Tactical" and "Deployment."

Good thread
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Old August 14, 2008, 04:31 AM   #11
Wildebees
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Man, you Americans are funny. Since I joined this forum I've had a few laughs- what do you call it- "guffaws", and my wife asks me all the time what I am smiling at!

These are very handy little conversation pieces I think. I should like to find out if I could import them.

Seriously, now. Having been attacked a number of times in this crime ridden beloved country of mine, and having survived each time just because I simply can not put up my hands and say: "please don't shoot" but by retaliating immediately and determinedly and aggressively. Got me in hospital twice but its better than getting underground.

The point I want to make is that a diversion, with immediate and hard follow up is essential.

These little jewels are potentially tactical essentials, I believe. Shall love to buy a set or two or more.
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Old August 19, 2008, 11:25 PM   #12
panino
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zYmbDi3-2g

Maybe if instead of pointing up they pointed to the walls there could have been a better result.
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Old August 19, 2008, 11:50 PM   #13
Bill DeShivs
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If you use X 10 or Leviton remote controls, you can turn on any light in your house from your bedroom. Tactical? No.
Practical? Yep.
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Old August 20, 2008, 07:33 AM   #14
JasonG
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Suprised my net filter at work allowed me to open this forum ..............
So how do you turn them on? Does it take a lot of fumbling?
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Old August 20, 2008, 09:22 AM   #15
Wildebees
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So how do you turn them on? Does it take a lot of fumbling?

Geez, you guys never let up, do you...
(by the way this was cannibalised from another thread that started off about... Well you see, so bloody much innuendo forked out of the original I can't even remember what the original was about!
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Old August 20, 2008, 12:13 PM   #16
JasonG
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Let me rephrase myself .....

Seriously, are they hard to SWITCH on?
Does it take 2 hands to activate the light?
Dang this is hard to keep straight,,, see !
Try again, can you ready the lights to be tossed into a room with a weapon in 1 hand?
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Old August 22, 2008, 05:50 PM   #17
Superhouse 15
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Turning them on

You can gently cradle two of them in your hand....


Let me start over.
I can hold all three in my hand and hit the switches to activate them one at a time. If you have smaller hands two is easier. Actually, even for me, using just two at once would probably be less prone to fumbling. If I'm careful I can line up all three switches in the Tactical Deployment Case and they can all be activated at once by pressing down, but like I said before it's hard to get the last one out of the pouch.
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Old August 22, 2008, 06:49 PM   #18
Jermtheory
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Quote:
Tactical? No.
Practical? Yep.
practical is tactical.

unless of'course you're going to let BS marketing define things for you.

Quote:
The point I want to make is that a diversion, with immediate and hard follow up is essential.

These little jewels are potentially tactical essentials, I believe.
you're killing me...

a set of balls(such as these) could definately be an asset in a violent confrontation.

...well,maybe not.
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Old August 22, 2008, 06:58 PM   #19
wncchester
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"TACTICAL BALLS" Do you carry them in boxers or briefs?

ARRRGH! :barf:
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Old August 23, 2008, 11:06 AM   #20
hogdogs
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Man I could drive the bull dogs crazy with these gizmos!
But I doubt they would hold up long.
Brent
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Old August 23, 2008, 08:45 PM   #21
Nakanokalronin
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Just watched that youtube video. They seem to just let the BG know where your at by seeing where the lights were thrown from. Then he picks them up and uses them to illuminate your area. I'd rather stay in the dark until I can illuminate the BG with my TLR-1.
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Old August 24, 2008, 04:30 AM   #22
guntotin_fool
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How many coats of black paint.....?


Or do you use shoe polish ?
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Old August 24, 2008, 06:53 AM   #23
Double Naught Spy
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A ninja and his money are soon parted.

Those are some very expensive pet toys.

Based on the video...
They aren't that bright
They aren't used to strike
They don't provide areal illumination necessarily if used on carpet (as also stated in the OP)
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