Post by Toothbrush on Dec 13, 2007 14:28:35 GMT -5
Over the years here I have had to opportunity to learn a great deal of information from those in the MiA Community, and I am extremely grateful for that. I do feel, however, that MiA as a community has a wealth of untapped knowledge which has the potential to benefit the community.Through these articles I hope to do that and offer me an opportunity to give back to a group which has taught me volumes. With that said, I hope to make this the first in a series of articles/reviews/etc. on various pieces of equipment which I use that may be beneficial to the airsoft community.
So who am I to be able to do this? I have been involved with airsoft, in some form or another, for a little over five years now, spurred on by a keen interest in the military/LE/First Responder community I have both hands-on knowledge and a fair amount of research under my belt. As you can tell by my sig I am also currently a Cadet at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy – in other words your tax dollars are paying for me to study, shoot guns, spend a little too much time researching military/LE/FR equipment. I also shoot for the academy's Combat Arms team, which focuses on CG smallarms/boarding/self-defense tactics.
A great interest of mine has always been methods of personal illumination, and you can expect the first few articles to cover various forms of light/lighting, in this case the MS-2000M emergency/signal strobe.
MS-2000M Strobe
The MS-2000M strobe replaced the military’s SDU-5 strobe and offers considerable advantages over its predecessor. Strobes can be used for identification of friendly forces (IFF), emergency signaling and placement of Littlebird minigun strikes (Black Hawk Down
).
Stats:
• Size: 4.5 x 2.2 x 1.1 in (11.4 x 5.6 x 3.3 cm)
• Weight: 4.0 oz (115 g) without batteries
• Light Output: 250,000 peak lumens per flash
• Flash Rate: 50 ± 10 per minute
• Light Dispersion: White-omnidirectional, IR-omnidirectional, Blue-unidirectional
• 8 hours minimum-strobe;
• Visibility: Military tested at a distance of 6 miles (9.6km) on a clear dark night
• Waterproof: To a depth of 50ft (15.3m)
• Batteries: 2 AA alkaline or lithium batteries (suggested for cold weather operations) (not included)
• Case Color: Black with olive drab flashguard
• Construction: Case, lens and flashguard-high impact polycarbonate; IR filter-butyrate
• Activation: Spark proof magnetic reed switch.
•Price: Retails for $95-130; can be found on ebay for half that or better
General Characteristics:
The MS-2000M is a relatively light weight and small device capable of three strobe outputs. Omnidirectional white, omnidirectional Infrared (IR), and directional blue. The blue filter allows for a easy distinction between the strobe and ground fire in the real world. The strobe runs off easily found AA batteries and is operated by a simple up-down switch with lock. Of note, my research indicates old versions did not have this lock, occasionally resulting in dead batteries when the strobe was needed. A lanyard is also included so the strobe can be worn around the neck or tied of to another piece of gear, etc.
Use in Airsoft:
Frankly, and in my humble opinion, strobes have little use in general airsoft. With that said, I do feel they could be useful in specific instances or scenarios. As an emergency signaling device, could easily help you be found should you become lost in a night game. Additionally, with the IR capability it could be used for IFF on teams with nightvision. However, with nightvision available to “everyone” in airsoft, this may also make you a big fat target to the opposition. Strobes may also be used in special scenarios to designate an objective, simulate calling for an airstrike, or other special rules/events. The greatest appeal is probably to geardos seeking realism or to fulfill a certain look/kit. Overall, however much of what can be done with a strobe could be done for less with a glowstick. But if you want the reusability and cool factor, and are willing to pay, the MS-2000M may be for you.
My Future Plans
Being in the Coast Guard, this has great potential to serve me well in the future. As soon as I can get my hands on some velcro, expect it to be on my MS-2000M so that I can easily attach it to a helmet, vest, etc. Beyond that, I have no other modifications/additions planned.
Pictures:
MS-2000M and box
IR filter removed to show white strobe
Note the safety latch (metal wire)
Blue filter
Battery compartment. Note AA batteries, easy to open-close with large dial (with screwdriver slot), cover connection wire (so you don't lose the battery cover), and extended body for blue filter use (see the extra black?).
I am happy to answer any questions, take suggestions/comments for future articles and I hope this and others articles will be of use to you.
Toothbrush
So who am I to be able to do this? I have been involved with airsoft, in some form or another, for a little over five years now, spurred on by a keen interest in the military/LE/First Responder community I have both hands-on knowledge and a fair amount of research under my belt. As you can tell by my sig I am also currently a Cadet at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy – in other words your tax dollars are paying for me to study, shoot guns, spend a little too much time researching military/LE/FR equipment. I also shoot for the academy's Combat Arms team, which focuses on CG smallarms/boarding/self-defense tactics.
A great interest of mine has always been methods of personal illumination, and you can expect the first few articles to cover various forms of light/lighting, in this case the MS-2000M emergency/signal strobe.
MS-2000M Strobe
The MS-2000M strobe replaced the military’s SDU-5 strobe and offers considerable advantages over its predecessor. Strobes can be used for identification of friendly forces (IFF), emergency signaling and placement of Littlebird minigun strikes (Black Hawk Down
). Stats:
• Size: 4.5 x 2.2 x 1.1 in (11.4 x 5.6 x 3.3 cm)
• Weight: 4.0 oz (115 g) without batteries
• Light Output: 250,000 peak lumens per flash
• Flash Rate: 50 ± 10 per minute
• Light Dispersion: White-omnidirectional, IR-omnidirectional, Blue-unidirectional
• 8 hours minimum-strobe;
• Visibility: Military tested at a distance of 6 miles (9.6km) on a clear dark night
• Waterproof: To a depth of 50ft (15.3m)
• Batteries: 2 AA alkaline or lithium batteries (suggested for cold weather operations) (not included)
• Case Color: Black with olive drab flashguard
• Construction: Case, lens and flashguard-high impact polycarbonate; IR filter-butyrate
• Activation: Spark proof magnetic reed switch.
•Price: Retails for $95-130; can be found on ebay for half that or better
General Characteristics:
The MS-2000M is a relatively light weight and small device capable of three strobe outputs. Omnidirectional white, omnidirectional Infrared (IR), and directional blue. The blue filter allows for a easy distinction between the strobe and ground fire in the real world. The strobe runs off easily found AA batteries and is operated by a simple up-down switch with lock. Of note, my research indicates old versions did not have this lock, occasionally resulting in dead batteries when the strobe was needed. A lanyard is also included so the strobe can be worn around the neck or tied of to another piece of gear, etc.
Use in Airsoft:
Frankly, and in my humble opinion, strobes have little use in general airsoft. With that said, I do feel they could be useful in specific instances or scenarios. As an emergency signaling device, could easily help you be found should you become lost in a night game. Additionally, with the IR capability it could be used for IFF on teams with nightvision. However, with nightvision available to “everyone” in airsoft, this may also make you a big fat target to the opposition. Strobes may also be used in special scenarios to designate an objective, simulate calling for an airstrike, or other special rules/events. The greatest appeal is probably to geardos seeking realism or to fulfill a certain look/kit. Overall, however much of what can be done with a strobe could be done for less with a glowstick. But if you want the reusability and cool factor, and are willing to pay, the MS-2000M may be for you.
My Future Plans
Being in the Coast Guard, this has great potential to serve me well in the future. As soon as I can get my hands on some velcro, expect it to be on my MS-2000M so that I can easily attach it to a helmet, vest, etc. Beyond that, I have no other modifications/additions planned.
Pictures:
MS-2000M and box
IR filter removed to show white strobe
Note the safety latch (metal wire)
Blue filter
Battery compartment. Note AA batteries, easy to open-close with large dial (with screwdriver slot), cover connection wire (so you don't lose the battery cover), and extended body for blue filter use (see the extra black?).
I am happy to answer any questions, take suggestions/comments for future articles and I hope this and others articles will be of use to you.
Toothbrush
