The 'Strobe' function.

[PatEgan]

Please, light manufacturers, just...stop.

I can't imagine I'm alone in this, but does anyone using lights in a duty/real world capacity really need a strobe function? Has it made a difference with it that you couldn't achieve by other means?

I'm a fan of tailoring the light to the task, or expected threat. What I mount on the end of an AR-15 is not what I'd select as a hand-held in my foothills/alpine AO for SAR missions. So why the hell do manufacturers STILL feel a need to include a strobe function on WMLs and 'tactical' lights? Is it supposed to come with a 'Frankie Goes To Hollywood' cover song? The first WML I was ever issued was an old Streamlight hand guard-integrated beast that was heavy, but worked. It was a single output light, ate CR123s voraciously, and did one thing decently well. I never encountered and never heard of anyone in my line of work deriving ANY value from a strobe function, which more often than not was just an inconvenient and annoying stop on the way to the next desired function of a given light. So,...has anyone ever achieved something with a strobe that couldn't be achieved by other means, with a light or not?