A closer look at Nightstick’s XPR-5568GX and RX

The invention of the dry cell battery and miniature incandescent bulbs made the first battery-powered flashlights possible around 1899. Then in 1904, developing tungsten-filament lamps with improved batteries made flashlights more useful and popular. The advantage of instant control, and the absence of flame, meant that hand-held electric lights began to replace flame-based lamps, and by 1922 there were an estimated 10 million flashlight users in the United States.

First introduced in 1927, firefighters adopted the right angle or “angle light” in the United States, but the basic flashlight changed very little until the introduction of LED flashlights in the early 2000s. Because very few companies created angle lights for firefighters, there was almost no competition and no incentive to innovate new features or improve them.

In early 2007 Nightstick, a company in Wylie, Texas, decided something had to be done to improve this outdated technology. With their introduction of the XPR-5568GX and RX INTRANT®, angle lights took a giant leap forward in technology. The Intrant is a powerful state-of-the-art LED-powered angle light that produces a sharp smoke-cutting beam via a large parabolic custom-tuned reflector without needing smoke cutter plugs, a first in the industry.

The light also incorporates Nightsticks’ revolutionary Dual-Light technology, which adds a downward-facing auxiliary light providing firefighters with a clear view of the ground and surrounding area. Despite these massive improvements, Nightsticks engineers knew they could do more, and with another industry first, the entire torch head was designed to be rotated 90 degrees, quickly turning a traditional fixed beam angle light into a Dual-Light torch.

This combines three tools, a torch, floodlight, and angle light, into one compact package, freeing up space and reducing weight while lowering the number of items you need to carry when disembarking the fire engine reducing time in that first golden hour.

The final thought to consider when purchasing firefighting equipment is the product’s manufacturer. A single-source manufacturer ensures consistent quality and safety across an entire product line when purchasing professional lighting products rather than mixing and matching products from several companies. This is especially important when buying hazardous environment safety lighting.

Nightstick, the original creator of the Dual-Light torch and a global manufacturer of over 50+ intrinsically safe professional, portable LED lighting products sold in 70+ countries, exceeds industry standards in performance, quality, value, and user safety. From penlights to floodlights, above ground or below ground, Nightstick has you covered. Focus on completing your job confidently, knowing your equipment was designed and rated for the highest safety levels.

This article was originally published in the January edition of IFSJ. To read your FREE digital copy, click here.