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The Streamlight UltraStinger Rechargeable System is
the top of the line for the Stinger series of flashlights.
It's screaming bright and based on the feedback I have
received from many readers, it is quite popular with
Police and civilians alike. After reviewing the UltraStinger,
I can see why!
Body:
The body of the UltraStinger is anodized aluminum and
is diamond checkered for grip around the body. The finish
is available in black only. The tailcap is flat and
has a tiny hole in the end for an air vent. The vent
is protected to help prevent the entry of environmental
contaminants.
Bezel/Head:
The head of the light contains a plastic lens and a
30-hour-rated xenon lamp assembly. The lens is o-ring
sealed. A large metal reflector gathers light from the
bulb. The reflector has a textured area around the bulb
to help smooth out imperfections in the beam and also
has a silicone O-ring in the opening where the bulb
protrudes into the reflector. Presumably this O-ring
helps protect the bulb from lateral shock by preventing
it from striking the metal reflector and breaking. The
focus of the beam is adjustable by twisting the head
of the light. Removing the head reveals that the reflector/lens/head
assembly is removed as one piece which allows for quick
and easy access to the bi-pin bulb assembly.
Output:
So how bright is it? I can tell you that I have reviewed
brighter lights, but not many. Our pet was reacting
to a strange noise outside last night and it had just
finished raining, so there was a slight mist in the
air. I grabbed the UltraStinger and fired off a blast
of light and was able to easily survey our property,
the neighbors property, and the next neighbors property,
and treetops of the woods 500 feet away. Output is extremely
bright, the focus can be made to be quite tight, and
it produces a very nice volume of light. Even when dialing
out to a wider focus, the output is still quite good
since the textured area of the reflector helps to fill
in the holes in the beam that would normally appear
with a completely smooth reflector.
Beam at one meter at target center, narrow and wide
focus
Runtime Plot:
The instructions say "1 hour". I say, "1
hour". Wow; truth in advertising! The runtime plot
shows fairly steady output, declining slightly throughout
until about the 1 hour point when it drops rapidly to
nothing.
More
information on runtime plots is available HERE.
Switch:
The switch is fairly typical of larger duty-type lights.
Rubber covered button just below the head. Very good
feel. Press gently for momentary operation, press until
it clicks for constant on. It rests in a dimple but
protrudes slightly above the surrounding assembly.
O-ring seals are found at all points of possible water
access (except for the switch cover, which is rubber)
so water resistance is rather good.
Ergonomics:
The UltraStinger is 11.75 inches in length, its body
is about 1" in diameter, and the head is 2.37"
in diameter at it's widest point. It's smaller in body
diameter than a MagCharger and weighs about half as
much. As a result it isn't quite as bright as the MagCharger,
but it's much easier to handle. It fits the hand well,
and is comfortable to carry. It's actually very well
balanced if you put your hand on the knurled section
below the head, right where your hand is supposed to
go.
Batteries:
It's rechargeable, so you don't have to keep feeding
it batteries, and uses a battery stick of 5 welded sub-C
NiCad cells. The unit I tested came with 2 charging
contact/holder assemblies, one 110V adapter, one 12V
adapter, and an extra bracket for the body to rest against.
By having two mounting brackets you can move the light
between the house and vehicle without having to carry
any special mounts or chargers. The unit reviewed included
the standard 10-hour charger; good for household and
once-nightly use like dog walks, etc. You can purchase
the UltraStinger with a fast charger kit (2.5 hr charge
time) for duty-type use where you can drop it back in
the charger between uses.
To recharge the light, just drop it in the charger
with the triangle toward the charger. When the red light
comes on, it's charging.
The light holder/contact system itself
holds the light in place with two spring-loaded arms.
Snap the light in and it starts charging. To remove
the light just grab it and pull.
What I Liked: Water resistant,
Fairly tough, Good battery life, Rechargeable, Very
Bright, Focusable, Relatively clean beam.
What I Didn't Like: Plastic lens
- ick. I haven't figured out how to get the lens out
and replace it - it looks like you have to replace the
whole head if it gets damaged.
Other Things I Noticed: Nothing
Conclusions: Sweet! As I said in
the introduction, I can see why this light is so popular
with Police and Security. It's lightweight for a rechargeable,
has more than enough output to "reach out and touch
someone" and yet has a runtime on a par with most
rechargeable systems. A common comparison is between
the UltraStinger and the MagCharger system. The MagCharger
does produce about 50% more light, but it is significantly
larger and weighs twice as much as the UltraStinger.
Personally, I'd take the UltraStinger over a MagCharger
any day because of its more comfortable size and weight
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