Grace Industries - Glow Baton

ABOVE-Left, By Night | Right, By Day

ABOVE-Detail of Click On/Flash/Off Mode & switch button

ABOVE- 2XAA wired battery compartment | Right- front view of 'lens' port

Description..

There are several non-chemical and non-incendiary traffic signal wands currently on the market- the Grace Indistries Glow Baton is one of several that use a non-reflective and non-refractive wand material. It performs the dual functions of a hand-held traffic marshalling wand as well as a roadside emergency e-flare.As with other products of this form factor it is ideal for marshalling traffic or warning motorists as they approach the scene of an emergency. Weighing about the same as a popular 2XC-cell flashlight, it's light enough for almost anyone to use. The use of fluorescent (day-glow) red material in the wand's casing, means that it has very good daytime in addition to nocturnal noticeability . By using a single long life red 5mm LED's instead of incandescent bulbs, costly and awkward bulb replacements are eliminated .It's easy to wield and the yellow pushbutton switch is highly responsive and light to the touch .It offers three modes, Click On/Flash/Off . A thoughtful wrist lanyard mitigates against an accidental dropping-especially under duress or in highly adverse conditions. As with other similar products, a base is offered to allow for stable upright support when it's used in a hands free mode. The weighty base allows for the wand's handle to be firmly attached- minimizing tipping over. The Glow Baton is powered by two commonly available AA size batteries. This helps to keep its weight down and makes it economical to run on universally available batteries.
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Sales Source:
http://www.gracesales.com
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Specifications..

• Colors:Flourescent (Day-glo) Red
• Composition:Polyamide casing
• Fabrication:Injection molded parts
• 1 Superbright Red LED
• Power:2X AA-cells
• Accessories:nylon wrist strap & dedicated injection molded base(included) ,belt holster (available)
• Controls: Single dual mode pushbutton On/Off click switch
• Dimensions:L 14.5" (illuminator 8.25"), widest diameter=44mm"/3mm diameter steel wire base
• Net weight:314gms /8.4oz,Base: .8oz/23 Gms
• Quick observations:400 hour runtime on 2 X AA /1 mile visibility- 700M noticability/ impact resistant
• May be submerged in water to depths of 500 feet
• Retail Price -TMGB MODEL 100 - PRICE: $29.95

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Evaluation Results & Conclusions...

Ease of Use
Excellent . Requires very little learning if any. Intuitive functional model. No cognitive overhead . Loading the batteries entails a simple unscrewing of the black handle knob and inserting two fresh AA-cell batteries (polarity indicated). Activation occurs when the round, black elastomer switch button is depressed. This is a simple On activation for constant. A sustained pressing activates a slow and then a fast flashing and a third pressing turns the unit Off. Making the wand stand up simply entails clamping it's heavy gauge wire stand around the handle to allow for a typical 'road flare' angled positioning on the ground. The lanyard helps to keep the hand-held baton from falling out of reach as well as to make it hangable.
4.0 points
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Task performance optimization
Very good . Accomplishes the task of clearly signaling a warning to oncoming vehicles or for directing traffic to move in a specific manner. The wand allows for effective functionality at a greater distance and/or with a more obvious signaling effect- especially in circumstances involving high speed traffic or inclement environmental conditions. Being of the smaller variety of wands it's more useful in the hand than as an e-flare. Beam projection is nearly spherical with only a disc the diameter of the handle being blocked from view. Because the Glow Baton does not use a photo reflective/refractive material, it is less useful as a passive reflective device than it is as a transilluminescent wand that benefits most from being LED powered. The availability of one constant on plus two flashing options (steady flashing and fast strobe) give the Glow Baton greater flexibility than many comparable signal batons/marshalling wands that typically will only offer one flashing mode in addition to constant On
4.5 points
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Durability
Long term tests have not been done. First impression . Replacement frequency will depend on variables such as frequency of dismantling / re-assembly, roughness of use, exposure to UV and heat/cold as well as other unpredictable factors. Based on concrete and drop tests that we've conducted, we've provisionally given this product a durability rating of:
4.5 points (3.5 points for wire stand)
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Adaptability/Suitability
Within the constraints of it's design the Grace Industries- Glow Baton is a suitable problem solver in contexts for which it is intended to be used- that is: signaling a road hazard emergency or directing traffic in occasional motorist emergencies. We did not torture test this product, not did we subject it to the widest possible range of situations. No claim is being made for suitability, durability or effectiveness. There is some mismatch between the quality of the baton and that of the wire stand in that we imagine that the stand may be easily lost or bent out of shape, long before the baton itself would have to be taken out of service.
4 points
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Quality of match to host product
Excellent. Accessory base perfectly matches, fits and compliments the Grace Industries- Glow Baton
5 points
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Pros > 1) Consumer worthy 2) Uses common AA cell batteries 3) LED lights will not burn out or cause combustion 4) Very reasonably priced 5)Lightweight and ergonomically pleasant to use 6) Water resistant seals 7) High quality fabrication 8)Multi-mode options 9)Simple wire support 10) Made in USA sticker
Cons > 1) Not ubiquitous in consumer retail channels 2) Not as bright an illumination as other models in its class 3) Stand is not quite as stable as competing support options 4) battery cradle connection wires seem delicate.

Rating -3.75 Stars = Marginally Recommended