Review: ALS Technologies Training Flash/Bang

Review: ALS Technologies Training Flash/Bang

Postby Steve » Sat Sep 27, 2008 5:42 am

A few months ago I purchased a flash-bang trainer produced by ALS Technologies. After running a dozen or so fuses through it, I thought that I should probably post a review of it.

A little background on diversionary devices:
Diversionary devices, commonly referred to as 'Flash bangs' or just 'bangs' for short, are devices that produce a loud noise and flash of light designed to momentarily overwhelm people in an enclosed space or draw attention away from an event such as a door breach. They are typically used in law enforcement scenarios as a tool to both overcome the moment of vulnerability where the team initiates a breach and to shock the suspects into surrender. The practice of employing a diversionary device is commonly referred to as 'banging' a room. They work against an unprepared opponent in several ways:

1. The human mind tends to 'frame' things. Therefore, typically, people will note and continually observe entry points (doors, windows, skylights) and visually engage objects (typically people) moving through these frames. By tossing a diversionary device through a doorway, the tendancy of an occupant is to track the moving object when it crosses the frame. This takes the attention of the defender off of the doorway or window for a fraction of a second. It has the added benefit of drawing the eyes toward the device when it initiates.

2. When a diversionary device initiates, it produces a very bright flash and a loud report. The bright light serves a benefit of immediately photo-bleaching out the rhodopsin, or 'Visual Purple', in the eye. Rhodopsin is the chemical produced in the eye that allows monochromatic vision in lower light levels. When the eye is exposed to a bright light source, the rhodopsin (along with several other related chemicals) overloads the eyes for a period of around 5 seconds or so, nearly eliminating the ability to process visual images. The loud noise combined with a slight overpressure blast front overloads the target's ears, typically causing temporary tinnitus (ringing of the ears) and occasionally temporary inner-ear imbalance, which causes mild balance issues. In layman's terms, it leaves the bad guys blind and deaf and possibly even staggering around for a few seconds. This gives the good guys a chance to overcome the area of vulnerability in the breaching phase, secure an initial entry into the structure, and engage any hostiles in the immediate area with a lower chance of meeting effective resistance.

From personal real-world experience on the user end, a diversionary device needs to have the following characteristics to be effective:

1: It needs to be able to be carried safely for long periods without accidental discharge. Yes, this is important to me. While not as bad as a frag accidentally cooking off, it is still not a good thing to pop one off unexpectedly.
2: It must be easily armed for use without requiring more than a few seconds to prepare for use. Preferably with a pull ring like everything else I carried that got thrown (frags, smoke grenades, CS, flash bangs, concussion grenades, etc.)
3: It should be heavy enough to be thrown through light obstacles such as glass windows, curtains, or other such light obstacles without rebounding back at me. Because that would truly suck.
4: It needs to not physically blow up into pieces. Because both hstages and children are fragile. And turning either into chunky salsa is bad form. (Note: I do not advocate the use of flash bangs in the presence of children. I repeat: It is considered BAD FORM to 'bang' children. They are very fragile...)
5: It should produce a bright light and one or more loud booms. It makes bad guys in other rooms think that you are chucking frag grenades into rooms in front of you, which makes them more likely to surrender. And helps you out in the room you are entering (see really long technical description above)
6: The delay from activation (when the spoon is released) to initiation (when it goes boom) must be fairly consistant. This allows you to time when you cook it off versus when you throw it. For example, a three count before throwing is a bad idea if your 5 second fuse only burns for two seconds before initiating. Quality Control is never overrated when dealing with pyro, ammo, or demo.

So, when I evaluated this, I used the above criteria. Well, and added the caviats that it must be safe for use, must not require a $200 DD tax stamp, and must be legal to own. I'll get into the safety concerns at the bottom of the review, which include my criteria for safety and my references to define safe.

PHYSICAL REVIEW:
The device weighs in at right around a pound when fused and ready for operation. It is slightly smaller than a typical military M18 smoke grenade in overall dimensions and will fit easily into a flashbang or smoke grenade pouch. The device was powder coated a pleasant U.N. Blue from the factory. Personally, I plan on leaving it that color, as it makes it easy to see when it comes time to recover it. It has a pattern of 4 large holes around the top of the device, a central threaded fuse well between the holes on top, and a large hole at the bottom of the device. The five non-fusing holes are there to safely release the noise and flash from the training device. The weight is heavy enough to satisfy point 3 above, and I would absolutely recommend employing it by tossing it fairly gently underhanded into rooms as it is heavy enough that it could conceivably injure someone if thrown like a baseball. The design is rugged enough (manufacturer states that it can be reused over 1000 times without being damaged) and the materials sturdy enough to easily satisfy point 4 (the not throwing shards of itself into things) from above. The fuse are sinle-use items. To initiate, you simply pull a pin and toss. The removal of the pin allows the spoon to be released, just like on a smoke grenade or fragmentation grenade. You can hold the spoon in place, pull the pin, and carry the devie safely without it initiating on you until the spoon is released. [In theory, the pin could be reinserted to safe the device, but I am personally leery of replacing the pin in any armed device regardless of type or purpose. My belief is that once the pin is pulled, whatever it was attached to should be either employed for its intended task or expiditiously deployed in a nearby 'dump' or 'clearing' area. When the pin is out, Mr. Grenade is no longer your friend.]

From a physical standpoint, the grenade earns top marks for weight and materials. While initially disappointed by the bright blue shell, I quickly came to support the manufacturer's choice as it both allows for easy location of the device after use and distinguishes it from similarly shaped harmless objects such as replica bb holders and smoke grenades. The fact that it uses actual fuses and a working pull-ring / spoon unit earns it high marks for functionality and adds to the effectiveness of training with it.

EFFECTS:
No training device that I have ever seen or used is nearly as disorienting as an actual diversionary device. The brilliant flash and incredible BOOM! really has to be experienced to be believed. That being said:

This is a good product. It produces an authoritative 120+dB BANG!, respectable 500,000+ candlepower flash, and a very realistic small puff of smoke that drifts upward for a moment before dissapating. It does produce a flash, so using it in very flammable environments is not the brightest idea. For example, dropping one in your local meth lab would be a very bad idea. During testing, though, dropping one in a wastebasket full of paper produced no ill effects. On carpets, however, a black residue from the flash powder charge might leave a small soot stain.

In testing with airsoft players during games, the sheer novelty value of a working and realistic flash bang simulator proved this to be effective. Players in the immediate environs of the device were definitely distracted for a crucial moment when it kicked off. Players in the surrounding environs were drawn toward the sound of the device going off, which suggests that using this will definitely draw the attention of players toward the area in which it deploys, allowing effective flanking or distraction. While it neither blinds nor deafens people (which is a good thing), it definitely provides a distraction. It is safe to use (see below) in most CQB training and scenario environments. The only down side that I found is the price. At an initial cost of around $150 for the device and 5 fuses and a recurring cost of around $20 per fuse, the cost is high enough to limit this to use in serious CQB training and competition. Additionally, operators will require at least a modicum of training to ensure proper, safe, and effective employment of the device. It is very similar to the training fragmentation grenades used by the U.S. Army bot in initial fusing and employment, with the exception that the fuses are approximately 1.5 to 2 seconds instead of 5 seconds.

SAFETY: (aka: The Important Stuff)
This training device produces a flash and loud report. It is a pyrotechnic device. Users should NEVER attempt to modify the device or fuses as this would be both UNSAFE and probably ILLEGAL. Modifying the device to increase yield would probably be considered equivalent to constructing an unregistered Destructive Device, which is truly bad juju. So don't do it, please? That being said, there are some important safetyconcerns that I had when considering this for purchase and use.

This device produces a flash. Approximately 500,000 to 750,000 candlepower. It is a pyrotechnic device. That means that there is a very brief flame emitted from the fuse assembly and lght is emitted from five holes in the body of the device. It should not be used in the presence of concentrations of flammable gas such as environments containing explosive mixtures. Like meth labs. Or anywhere else that lighting a cigarette will cause Very Bad Things to happen. Noie concerns are dealt with below.

So the question then becomes: Is this safe to use? And the answer I have found is "Mostly". I did a couple of field tests to check the results. First, I dropped one outdoors in an overgrown fire pit. As it was late summer, most of the grass within was brown and dry. A condition that I (and most former Boy Scouts) like to refer to as 'tinder'. I brought out the fire extinguisher and hoped for the best. No grass was burned, and no fire was started. So, I decided to up the ante a bit. Moving indoors, I dropped one into a wastebasket full of paper liberated from beneath a paper shredder. Trusty fire extinguisher near to hand, I pulled the pin and dropped it into the cannister. As a side note, the trainers sound considerably louder inside a closed room. Which made me considerably happier, as the outdoor test left a little to be desired in terms of the 'wow' effect. It made a very loud bang and a pretty bright flash. And left a bit of soot that (mostly) wiped off of the inside of the can, but did not ignite the paper within. For which my roommates are suitably grateful. [Sidebar: Warning your buddy who is home on leave from Iraq before doing this is both a good idea and conducive to survival. Not warning your civilian friends is both unkind and funny simultaneously.]

Having proven to myself that the training device was unlikely to result in a claim against my homeowner's insurance, I then ventured forth to continue testing in a realistic CQB facility. The next step was to determine both the safety aspects and the usefulness of the device in a practical setting. Thankfully, the very nice people at PTOC Airsoft were kind enough to allow me to test the training device inside their facility. We tested it inside a smallish (less than 8' x 8') room. The device functioned without causing any structural damage and no ill effects on the test subjects. When deployed operationally, the device caused enough of a surprise to those on the recieving end that two players were able to sprint down a 20 foot hallway and successfully engage the two players who had been 'banged' without being engaged.

A word on noise:
This device emits a pretty loud BANG when it goes off. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 120 to 130 decibels. OSHA calculations state that sounds over 85 dB can cause hearing damage in excess of 8 hours per day, and decibel exposure over 140 dB can cause instantaneous damage, with varying levels of noise and allowed exposure time ranging within. At the top end of the manufacturer's claim, the device puts out 130 dB, which is fairly close to the 140 dB instant damage potential mark. This concerned me, so I did a bit more research to determine how decibels are rated and what the risk was. Apparently, sound volume in the 120 dB to 130 dB range is equivlent to the amount of noise produced at a rock concert in the front row or hearing an ambulance siren. Given that actual sound level DOUBLES for every 3 dB increase, and the maximum rated dB level was 130 dB and that OSHA considers 8 hours of exposure at 85 dB as the upper limit of 'safe', I did the math to see how unsafe this noise was. Osha states that for every 5 dB increment above 85 dBs, the maximum allowable exposure time is cut in half. As such, 85 dBs is 9 'steps' of 5 dB below 130 dB. That means that exposure should be at most limited to 8 hours divided by 2 and the result divided in half and so on 9 times. The maximum allowable exposure time under OSHA's formula is 56.25 seconds of exposure per day.

However, I am a bit pessimistic by nature, so I decided to re-run the calculations based on halving the exposure for every 3dB 'step', or 15 times. This left me with a result of 0.87890625 seconds of exposure as the conservative maximum safe exposure time, which significantly exceeds the Bang! time of the training device. From experimental exposure in confined areas, no tinnitus (ringing of the ears) was experienced by myself or any of the test subjects even after repeated exposure, which leads me to believe that limited exposure does not present a significant risk or require additional safeguards, however those who are in the immediate environment may choose to wear hearing protection if they feel the need.

Final thoughts on the ALS Technologies training diversionary device:
Pros:
1. The most realistic flash-bang training device I have run across (currently used by multiple tactical teams, the U.S. military, and other governmental agencies for training)
2. Professional fit and finish. No assembly needed beyond installing or replacing fuse assemblies
3: Legal to own and train with. At least for adults, anyway.
4: While certainly not as effective as an actual flash-bang, the training device is both safe to deploy and effective in a CQB environment as a distraction device.
5: The replaceable pyrotechnic fuses initiate reliably every time. It is rock solid and dependable, which is not a common trait in airsoft distraction devices.

Cons:
1. Cost. At a cost + shipping of around $150 for the training grenade and five fuses, and $20 or so for replacement fuses, this is not an inexpensive piece of kit.
2: Prior to use, the operator should be trained in the safe handling of the device.
3: Prior to employment at an event, the entire team will need to spend time familiarizing themselves with the function of the device and integrating it into their tactics. See point 1 above regarding cost.

My overall impression is that these devices will either become a staple of the more dedicated CQB teams in the airsoft community. The outside possibility is that a combination of price and possible bias against pyrotechnics will cause these devices to be shunned by the community. To reduce the risk of the latter, I have endeavored to present the above review with as much data as I could to allow the community the opportunity to evaluate it here. I would hope that field owners and event organizers will institute safety measures designed to mitigate risks inherent with this product prior to allowing use in their facilities or at their events. My suggestion would be a certification course of some sort requiring a block of instruction on safe handling and use, a block of instruction on effective employment, and a practical exercise demonstrating mastery of the material. Additionally, I would strongly encourage requiring participants at events to purchase the fuses at the event and either return unused fuses or the safety ring and dunnage from the fuses to ensure that the devices are used responsibly, are in safe condition, and not modified. I would also suggest that peer pressure be used to encourage product owners to leave the devices their standard blue color rather than paint them to resemble actual devices.

For more information on the product, here are links to A.L.S. Technologies' product spec sheet
http://static.alstechnologies.com/specs/ALSDDTS.pdf
and Materials Safety Data Sheet
http://static.alstechnologies.com/msds/ALSDDTS-MSDS.pdf
This Week In Airsoft wrote:This Week in Airsoft stands behind its statement... The internet and YouTube can be your teacher.

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Postby Rogue Reaper » Sat Sep 27, 2008 10:05 am

You want to see tham in action? Look at Airsoft Pacifics Media section. CQC3 Video. E.A.T.F. runs about halfway through.

We used 6 I think for the event.

We used real bang bodies with the ALS trainier fuses.

I have 10 bodies and 48 fuses in my safe right now. ;) <--- I are the coolz :roll:

It is my understanding that a ALS dealer may soon be here in Hillsboro. :D If not I know a dealer in Salem.


Outstanding review!!
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Postby crewdog » Fri Oct 03, 2008 8:59 pm

Do either one of you police up the spoons when you are done?

If so would you be interested in parting with them for a nomial fee?

Thanks
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Postby Steve » Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:18 am

Sorry. I've been policing up the spoons and spent fuse assemblies and throwing them in the trash. I will try to remember to hang onto the spoons for you when I toss them in the future though.
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