FOG HORN 2014 Twobirds Flying Publication Copyright 2014, Towbirds Flying Publication. All Rights Reserved. Laser Devices Inc. MK3 Battle Light – A compact an d effective lig hting accessory f or professional use. By: Sal Palma Laser Devices Inc is located in Monterey, CA and it’s one of a few premier suppliers of multi- spectral weapon mounted laser and lighting accessories to law enforcement, military, state and federal agencies. The company is a global supplier with an established reputation for durable quality products and support. While at the 2014 Shot Show, I had the opportunity to meet with a representative who took me through their new product lineup. I was intimately familiar with the LDI DBAL and a number of their accessories, but I was intrigued by the MK3 Battle Light. I think it was the combination of packaging and the arrangement of its IR LEDs. I knew that a veritable cornucopia of white light and IR illuminators existed in the market, but quite frankly few have performed well. Certainly not well enough to constitute professional grade equipment, so I was anxious for a test run of LDI’s MK3Battle Light. There are numerous reasons to buy LDI products but one that I find creates a strong business case is the consistency of the human interface across their entire military and civilian line. When you purchase LDI you get a weapon accessory that is consistently reliable, robust and a consistent user interface, all important consideration in professional use. The MK3 Battle Light follows suit. The packaging is quite extraordinary, and the all-aluminum housing looks to be more the product of the Czech cubist architect Josef Gočár. It’s unquestionably elegant with a large bezel measuring ~ 1.54 inches. However, in spite of its large bezel, the housing or body geometry allows the light to sit closely to the weapon and mounting rail.
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Laser Devices Inc. MK3 Battle Light A compact and effective lighting accessory for professional use.
By: Sal Palma
Laser Devices Inc is located in Monterey, CA and its one of a few premier suppliers of multi-spectral weapon mounted laser and lighting accessories to law enforcement, military, state and federal agencies. The company is a global supplier with an established reputation for durable quality products and support. While at the 2014 Shot Show, I had the opportunity to meet with a representative who took me through their new product lineup. I was intimately familiar with the LDI DBAL and a number of their accessories, but I was intrigued by the MK3 Battle Light. I think it was the combination of packaging and the arrangement of its IR LEDs. I knew that a veritable cornucopia of white light and IR illuminators existed in the market, but quite frankly few have performed well. Certainly not well enough to constitute professional grade equipment, so I was anxious for a test run of LDIs MK3Battle Light.There are numerous reasons to buy LDI products but one that I find creates a strong business case is the consistency of the human interface across their entire military and civilian line. When you purchase LDI you get a weapon accessory that is consistently reliable, robust and a consistent user interface, all important consideration in professional use. The MK3 Battle Light follows suit. The packaging is quite extraordinary, and the all-aluminum housing looks to be more the product of the Czech cubist architect Josef Gor. Its unquestionably elegant with a large bezel measuring ~ 1.54 inches. However, in spite of its large bezel, the housing or body geometry allows the light to sit closely to the weapon and mounting rail. Ive encountered very avant garde designs, of similarly sized bezels, that protrude so far beyond the weapon as to make them a royal pain in the butt to use; not to mention vulnerable to accidental impact. Those designs adhere to the misguided precept that barrel shadow is an intolerable evil, so lets get that light out and away from the weapon as far as possible. Allegedly, barrel shadow creates a blind spot that keeps you from detecting bad guys! Really? Put down the You Tube fellas! Ive even seen people adding risers to a light mount; I wonder what theyll do when they hang a suppressor off their carbine. I guess you can always use 200 mph tape and mount it to the muzzle device. Well, Ill keep the barrel shadow and opt for the compactness and mounting of the MK3.LDIs new Battle Light uses the same quick attach / detach HT mount that youll find across the companys entire line of rail attached accessories, for example the DBAL. The HT mount works extremely well with any Picatinny mounting rail; yet is easy enough to operate, unlike some of the cam lever mounts in use today that require considerable force to operate.Earlier, I spoke of consistency in the user interface, which is a huge hot button for me. As I looked at the rear of the light there was no need for clarification or acclimation, its user interface is consistent with LDIs other products. The back plane contains a rotary switch, shown in the OFF position. The selector provides the operator with access to all modes of operation. They consist of LO-IR, HI-IR, LO-VIS, HI-VIS and MOD (an 8 KHz strobe).At the 1 oclock position, from the operators viewpoint, youll find an LED that lights green when the MK3 is in use, and flashes to indicate a battery low condition. In summary, if youve used an LDI DBAL, ITAL, EOLAD youll feel right at home with the MK3 Battle Light. The back plane also contains the pressure switch jack and the activation button designated as FIRE. Pressing the FIRE button once gives you momentary IR illumination, visible light or strobe. A double tap places the light in constant on mode. LDI included a 5 min constant time-out, which is a very nice feature to have. The FIRE button is covered with a heavy duty rubber boot and has excellent tactile. It is also placed so that its easily accessible with the support hand. One final observation before moving on to performance is the quality of LDIs pressure pads. LDI makes one of the best pressure pads Ive ever used; they are durable and feel great to the touch. Shifting gears into performanceThe MK3 Battle Light is impressive; both visible and IR illumination have Lo and Hi outputs. The IR illuminator operates in the 850nm wavelength so its fully compatible with night vision goggles (NVG) and weapon sights. In LO-IR (
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