Putting Optronics in the Spot Light!

 

Off road lights?…Check  Radios?…Check  Tool kit?…Check   Remote controlled, suction cup mounted 500k CP search light?…Check…Wait, What?!

When I started building my daily driver into a Tactical Urban Survival Vehicle I knew the stock lighting wasn’t going to cut it. I would have to be augment the system with aftermarket products to bring it up to spec. and when your talking tactical, lighting isn’t limited to night use, it can also function in the day time as a way to dazzle or stun aggressors allowing you a fast getaway. Now, lights on the front are a must and the brighter the better and that has been handled nicely with four high intensity units up front. With that covered I turned my attention to other lighting needs…Wouldn’t it be great if you could direct a spot light all around your vehicle while staying safe inside? That’s what I thought and look what I found!

Made by Optronics, the RC550 comes in three configurations…black (mine), white and camo. The light is controlled by a handheld unit that has four directional buttons and two switches for the spot light and area light. The hand unit is connected to the light via a 10 foot cable, so positioning of the light is not an issue. The cable passes nicely through the door and shows no signs of damage after repeat openings and closings…

Set up couldn’t be easier…I just took the unit out of the box, plugged the power cord into my cigarette lighter and placed the light on the roof of the truck! And BLAM-O! 500k Candle Power of remote controlled light!! Operation is intuitive and rather self explanatory, left is left…right is right and so on…. In order for the light to move, either the spot or flood has to be switched on which is nice and prevents accidental damage to the gearing. The light pans and tilts quickly and the sealed beam throws a nice bright spot, lighting up a sizeable area. The area light is nice and not over powering but you will find yourself using the spot a lot more.

I gotta tell ya, this light is a blast to use! My kids love it…my wife hates it…and the neighbors think I’m crazy!! What more could you ask for!! The kids love to play in the light and they spent the better part of an hour chasing the beam all over the front lawn! After fatigue set in they hopped into the truck and wanting to take the show the road, begged me to take it to Granma and Grandpa’s and shine their house! Their neighbors think I’m crazy now too!!

Now, aside from playing with the kids and bothering the neighbors, there are a lot of great applications for this unit. It is a serious pice of gear that can increase your situational awareness and make hazardous situations safer. Looking for addresses, finding driveways and backing up…the list goes on and on…

The light securely mounts to the top of the truck with an oversized, leaver operated suction cup. I have found the best grip is created when both the cup and roof are first moistened and then put together. Common sense and the instructions both state that its not for use while driving but I seldom listened to those two in the past and I wasn’t about to now… In my testing I have found the light to be stable and remain mounted at low, suburban speeds and the beam was not at all bouncy. Now, I’m not advocating reckless behavior and if that light came loose someone could have gotten hurt. Always follow your devices instructions. They are there to keep you and others safe… I test rugged, adventure products and its my job to see what an item is capable of and to push it to its limits of safe operation…

The RC550 has 340 degrees of travel and is more than necessary to light up the area surrounding my truck and has become an integral part of my mobile preparedness. You can never have too much lighting and this spot from Optronics really does a great job of fulfilling the need for a flexible and effective lighting solution. If your building a survival vehicle, this light is a must have. The only thing better than having one on your truck would be having TWO of them on your truck!!

For more information and to find out how to get yours, click here…