NEXTORCH UT61 Tactical Helmet Signal Light

With over 30 years of experience in law enforcement and a career spanning multiple roles and specialty units, I’ve come across a wide range of tactical gear. Few tools have impressed me as much as the UT61 Tactical Helmet Signal Light. This device stands out as both innovative and practical.
Although it's designed as a helmet-mounted light, I’ve found it works exceptionally well clipped to my vest lapel. In this position, it has performed flawlessly across a variety of operational settings. What makes the UT61 particularly effective is its multiple light modes—including white, green, red, blue, and a red/blue strobe, plus an infrared (IR) mode for tactical or covert use. Whether I’m signaling in a tactical environment, identifying personnel, or simply needing hands-free illumination, the UT61 delivers. One of the most practical applications I’ve found is using it inside a patrol vehicle while completing reports. The red or green light provides just the right amount of illumination without being overwhelming or drawing unwanted attention. The button controls are a little tricky by being smaller and trying to use gloves as well. . . but still a high grade item.

I have received and thoroughly examined your tactical beacon, and I would like to share detailed feedback based on my initial impressions and testing.

Pros
First and foremost, I must highlight that the beacon offers impressive functionality for its price:

- Ability to pair with other devices in a group.

- Separate operating modes for visible and infrared (IR) spectrums.

- A wide selection of colors in the visible range.

- Adjustable brightness for both visible and IR light — a very important and useful feature.

- Configurable strobe patterns specifically for IR mode — a valuable function for quick identification in the field.

All these features make the device potentially very promising for professional use.

Critical Drawbacks
Unfortunately, these advantages are outweighed by significant design flaws, particularly when the beacon is used as a helmet-mounted tactical device:

Uncomfortable controls:
The button lacks any tactile feedback — it is flat and unresponsive to the touch, offering no clear indication of activation. This is extremely inconvenient in situations where the device must be operated blindly (on the back of the head, while wearing gloves, etc. ).

In general, using a button on helmet-mounted devices is not the best design choice for tactical conditions.

Poor implementation of the IR switch:
- It's a good decision to have a dedicated control for IR mode.
- However, the switch is so small and flush with the body of the device that it is almost impossible to locate and operate while wearing gloves and with the beacon mounted on a helmet.

No indication of operation:
- The beacon provides no feedback when turned on — no vibration, no sound, no mechanical click.
- This means the only way to verify if the beacon is active is by removing the helmet or asking a guy next to you, which is a serious flaw in real-world scenarios.

Overall Assessment:
These shortcomings make the beacon practically unsuitable for professional helmet-mounted use in tactical and high-risk environments. It is difficult to operate, and there is no way for the user to confirm its status without external help — a critical issue.

Suggestions for Improvement:
- Completely eliminate the button. Use only physical switches, whose position and state can always be felt tactically.
- Add vibration or sound-based feedback to indicate power-on and operational status, so the user can be confident without requiring visual confirmation.

Best regards,
Alex