Ran some tests on the Light Strike gear that got donated to our cause. Decided to get the Nightvision running to see the focus of each one's lens/their power. Light Strike is considerably weaker than the LTX, which is probably why it gets more dismal ranges too. Check out this short vid we took of the tests.
Nerf/Laser Tag Hobbyist with a tactical sweet tooth
For those who decry the "dismal" ranges of the Light Strike guns: They still shoot farther and more accurately than foam blasters, so what's the hangup?
ReplyDelete@ Skurj, the hangup is that when compared to other laser tag systems on the market, it's the worst-performing one we've ever tested. Comparing laser tag to Nerf, Light Strike isn't bad. But even Laser Challenge, which was developed back in 1996, performs better than Light Strike.
ReplyDeleteThe light strike assault striker with the scope add on can shoot extremely accurately up to 275 feet. With out the scope attachment accurate up to maybe 125 feet. I saw a video showcase. The LTX can never be totally as accurate due to it's pistol design.
DeleteI suppose my point is that range isn't everything when it comes to having fun. Nerf, airsoft and paintball guns are plenty fun despite their limitations so I don't really understand the bad wrap Light Strike gets for not reaching out beyond those distances.
ReplyDeleteWell, if I have the choice between a 35 Dollar Assault Striker that gets 100 feet of range with one forward-mounted sensor and a 60 dollar set of two LTXs that get 500 feet of range and has a dome-mounted sensor that can get hit from multiple angles, the choice seems kind of easy. I could go on with the comparisons, but the main issue that I come back to is that for the price they're asking, Light Strike comes up short.
ReplyDeleteI see your point.
ReplyDeleteLTX has multiple weapons in each gun and accessories that change the game play? I just purchased 4 Assault Strikers @ $20/ea and the main thing I like about them is the ability to change the weapons and the reload times that go along with it.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to see the test again with the scope mounted on the light strike. I hear it makes them shoot farther, and I can't image there is any real electronics in the scope. My guess is that the gun is "toned" down until you add the scope and then you see the full output. But, that is just speculation.
Cool video though!
@Lynx, in my opinion, the LTX doesn't need multiple weapon types in their blasters. It already outperforms any stock blaster or accessory that Light Strike has. Even their "Sniper Scope" is only rated to hit targets at 100 feet. Even if you could get more range out of it, I still doubt it would be able to match a basic LTX.
ReplyDeleteI am unable and unwilling to invest anything in Light Strike. The blaster that we did these tests with was a Striker, which means that I would have to purchase an Assault Striker AND a Sniper Scope attachment to conduct the test.
There are electronics in the scope, though I am unsure of how they perform. The Scope itself appears to have a lens on it, so I am willing to guess that the blasters are not toned down as you speculated and, instead, fire through the new lens provided by the attachment.
However, you can run these tests yourself if you have an older video camera with night vision. It should be able to pick up the IR light just as we did in our tests.
I disassembled a scope and while it does contain electronics it has no lens or emitter of its own. The blasters ARE in fact toned down and the scope serves merely to interface with the main board of the tagger. With the scope attached maximum range is about 300 feet at night, as opposed to 150 or so without.
ReplyDeleteDoes this mean that light strike guns could be modified to always shoot long distances like they do with the "scope"?
ReplyDelete@ appleisaac, any laser tag blaster could be modified to "always" shoot long distances. It's a matter of upgrading/replacing the lens or even adding a booster board to make the LED brighter. A mod like that would render the "Scope" that gets a mere 100 feet useless. A lens from a Laser Challenge V2 pistol, for instance, could land you 400-500 feet of range easily.
ReplyDelete@appleisaac: What Bazookafied said. Plus one more thing.
ReplyDeleteIt is also possible to replace the original IR diode with a focused IR LED. Basically this concentrates the same total output into a unidirectional beam before it even hits the lens. The normal LED radiates in 360 degrees and the lens serves to collect and focus the portion of that radiation that is already headed forward, which is a small percentage of the total output. By adding a focused LED the same output is utilized more efficiently by eliminating wasted radiation traveling away from the lens.
To put it simply, it's like using a flashlight instead of a candle.
If by your question you meant "Could the normal board be modded so the guns always operate at a higher level of output like they do with the scope?" I would say yes, BUT it would require more technical expertise than I've got and there are far easier ways of increasing the effective range.
I am trying to decide between using the light strike or the LTX systems. I bought my 6 year old son the light strike system with two strikers and 4 strike targets. My main beef with the system is the fact that it is very easy to cheat since the person shooting cant tell when his opponents life is up, how many times they have reset their health, or how many times another person has been hit. I know the guns make sounds and light up signaling various status but outside, this will be difficult to see and hear as people are on the move. Seems like the gun that is shooting should have some kind of hit-counter to let the user know how many times he has hit an enemy.
ReplyDeleteUltimately, I would like to know which system inhibits cheating the most by the degree of alerting players when they have exhausted someones health meter or won a match?
I have yet to actually play a game of Light Strike myself. We only have the one blaster that we've run tests on. Knowing when someone is "dead" is part of playing the game with LTXs. There's a switch on the blaster that allows you to play a 10 hit or a 25 hit game. Once their life is up, the blaster doesn't fire anymore and the Red lights in the dome stay lit. You can technically "cheat" with LTX by turning the gun off mid-game and restarting it, but the blaster makes it obvious to everyone else when it's starting up because it has a 10 second countdown. The Light Strike blasters can be turned off mid-game too in addition to being able to switch teams during the game, which I think is worse if you want a system that's "Cheatproof".
DeleteAlso, if you're concerned about playing with the system outdoors, LTX will outperform Light Strike any day of the week. They have better sun-filtering for the sensors and get much better range. I hope this helped! If you have any more questions, just post another comment!
I went ahead and bought the LTZ system from Amazon for 60 bucks. They cost 80 at Toys'R'Us. After trying them out, I will be returning the light strikers I had previously bought. The feature I like the most is the big red dome light on top of the gun that blinks when a player is hit and stays lit when the game is over. This dome is very visible and can be seen from a long distance. Thanks for your quick response to my first post.
DeleteLTXs hands down. Light Strike charges a boatload of money for one stupid gun, they don't work very well (I held two of the guns side-by-side, one team red and the other blue. I fired one of them and the other actually sensed the shot and lost a bit of health), most of the things you need for a basic game are in a separate purchase and nobody really needs a target included with the gun, making the price go up. Just give me the gun, keep the target thingy and save me a couple of dollars. Another thing that bugs me is the oh-so-annoying fingerprint scanner. It's just a button that blocks you from the laser tag, it doesn't really scan your fingerprint, and I don't see the point of it.
ReplyDeleteLTX, on the other hand, doesn't throw the buttons on the side of the gun and call it good. It's got a shield, fire, reload, and that's it. It's so simple, and it's almost impossible to accidentally press a button. Another thing is that it actually looks like a gun, without the alien theme.
I just think it's better. So, i'll stop my rant.
The LTX is awesome, and yes has a greater range than the light strike, but here in NYC you cant find a 2 player pack of LTX taggers for under 95 dollars, and that's not including the no longer made shotgun attachment. on ebay during a recent search, for a 2 player LTX pack with the shotgun attachment, 300 dollars...so not worth it anymore. I picked up an ITS and 2 attachments from toys r us on sale for a grand total of 6.75, and a Light strike tagger for 25 bucks with free shipping on Ebay, which is still insanely less than the Phoenix LTX, Hasbro from what i was told by a friend has an agreement with Tiger electronics so that hasbro made the taggers and tiger made the attachments, and tiger after a while back out of that deal, and now the shotgun isnt even made for the taggers anymore, It also seems like Hasbro moved on from the LTX to make the iPhone lazer tag gun set, which is also cool but only for iPhone users.
DeleteKnowledge to the rescue! You seem to be on the fence of Informed and Misinformed about this.
Delete1) the "iPhone Lazer Tag" is not only for iPhone users. The blasters can be used without an iOS with no problems at all. Hasbro has just done a failtacular marketing job of letting consumers know that these blasters can function without the iPhone or iPod. My blog and YouTube are riddled with reviews and pictures showing the new Lazer Tag blasters in action without the iPhone.
2) The reason you're seeing such high prices for the LTX is because they're out of production. Amazon likes to inflate prices of discontinued stuff like crazy, but if you're clever, you can find this gear for much cheaper prices on online auctions like eBay.
3) Hasbro didn't have to "make a deal" with Tiger, since Tiger Electronics was part of Hasbro at that point. The LTX was initially released under the Tiger Electronics brand with the ShotBlast, videogame attachment, and Green Dot Sight. These were marketed poorly and didn't do well, so Hasbro pulled them, put a Nerf Logo on them, and took away the attachments. Just before the LTX was discontinued, Value Pack versions of the Nerf brand LTX included a Nerf branded Green Dot sight. The accessories from both the Tiger and Nerf branded versions are 100% compatible.
4) Light Strike blasters are cheaper right now just about anywhere, as they are being clearanced/liquidated at most retail stores. A single iPhone Lazer Tag blaster (called the LTAR) will run you roughly 33 dollars, the same price as an Assault Striker. The LTAR still has better range, more reliable features, and is harder to cheat with than the Light Strike gear, so it's still a flop in my books.
I hope I answered/cleared up a few things. If you've got any more questions, feel free to ask!
What are the ranges of the LTAR looking to buy off amazon cos I live down under and I have light strike atm just want to see what the ranges are in the day and night thx
ReplyDeleteLTAR gets roughly 500 feet outdoors. Pretty much anyplace indoors you can hit unless you're playing inside a warehouse or something. Much better ranges than Light Strike, especially outdoors and even during the daytime. Ranges get cut a little in broad daylight (300-400 is a good estimate).
DeleteThanks looks like I'm buying the LTAR's and selling the light strike gear :D btw I live on a farm so the LTAR's sound perfect
Delete