A long throw flashlight is a type of torch designed to project a beam over an extended distance. It typically has a narrow beam angle to be able to achieve such distances, which allows it to illuminate objects or targets at a considerable distance.
The term “throw” refers to the distance of the beam projection. Long throw flashlights are designed to have a far-reaching beam that can reach hundreds of meters if not kilometres away. This makes them useful in applications such as search and rescue, hunting, and long-range navigation.
LED Long throw torches
LED Long throw flashlights usually have a reflector that focuses the beam into a tighter and more concentrated beam. In terms of a long throw torch that utilises an LED these torches will have a larger reflector than your typical EDC torch allowing it to maximise the reflective surface of the LED’s light output and further focus it into a single hotspot beam. Torches like the Acebeam K75 and Lumintop GT110 do an excellent job at this creating not only an extremely focused hotspot but also offer a slightly larger field of vision compared to the new LEP technology. This results in a brighter and more intense light that can travel further.
Advantages
- High lumen output’s compared to LEP Searchlights
- Offer spill light which can be useful when tracking objects at distances
- Larger field of view compared to an LEP torch
- More Output modes
Cons
- Can be bulky compared to LEP’s
- Will usually require larger/more batteries
- Not as an intense hot spot as LEP’s
LEP long throw torches
LEP long throw torches carry different design characteristics as the LEP itself offers an incredibly intense about of light and when focused it can reach astonishing distances with very little power draw. All this is able to be packaged a lot smaller than an LED style thrower as it is able to create a pencil like beam with very little spill light in a tight compact design. This makes LEP torches the king of distance torches. But with all these amazing features there are some drawbacks, what having such a pencil like beam and little to no spill light it can make tracking an object hard at distance if it goes outside the field of view.
In recent times there have been some advancement is making the LEP style torch more user friendly with the Acebeam W35 having an adjustable beam angle which allows you to use the LEP torch as a normal flashlight increasing its field of view. Although still a very fixed beam with not spill, it can still be used for normal tasks such as walking around at light and inspection work in these wide angle settings.
Advantages
- Distance cannot be matched
- Compact design and easy to carry
- More energy efficient – longer runtimes off smaller batteries
- Pencil like beam with incredibly intense hotspot
Cons
- Very little spill light making objects hard to track at distances
- Single design for distance had to use as a normal torch
- Fewer modes than an LED torch
- Not as bright as an LED torch