Submitted 5 weeks ago by tilefan@lemm.ee to [deleted]
once a year I email my favorite flashlight manufacturer to ask if they’ve finally made a flashlight that just turns on and off when you push the button, and every year they’re like, “no, but thanks so much for your feedback!”
be honest, have any of you ever used the flashing feature on your flashlight? did it actually come in handy? handy enough that I have to scroll past it every single time I want to turn my flashlight on or off
I have two Fenix lights that both have 2 buttons, one on/off and a second mode selector.
The LD12 is perfect as a daily although the side/mode button is kinda awkward to use, the main button is perfect though.
My PD35R is a bigger one that’s really bright, but also too big for normal carry, so I only use it for work when it’s too dusty to see. It has 2 buttons on the back, one small one for mode selection and a nice big one to turn it on/off.
I have never had strong opinions about my flashlights. My favourite is a blue one I found that had leds and lasts forever on AA batteries. Never had one with settings all the ones I’ve used are on/off
The problem is that the old multiple-choice physical switches (like the ones from 90s) got replaced by a single electronic flip-flop button (plus lots of “modernities”). These old flashlights could last for decades (especially if the user has the knowledge to repair it through simple soldering for replacement of a defective battery contact, for example).
The vast majority of flashlights just go to your last setting with one click, what flashlights are you using that this is an issue?
I know the feeling. Most of those features are only useful in low probability events.
If you’re looking for simple flashlights, Maglight has always made decent flashlights, though I’ve been buying Ryobi flashlights for the last 15 years as they are relatively affordable and I’ve already a bunch of their 18v batteries. Not sure how weather proof they are but I’ve never had an issue with the “new” (I think it’s a 10 year old design) led flashlights.
After writing this, I thought I could use another flashlight, but seems that Ryobi has discontinued the P705 and seems to have replaced it with the PCL660 which has a different form factor.
I have a really good bright quality flashlight, USB rechargeable that turns on and off with no bullshit in between. O’Reilly Auto parts. Found it among all the fun stuff they sell at the front counter.
Had me in the first half.
What bothered you about the second half?
does it have a brand name on it aside from O’Reilly? maybe a part number somewhere in it
Some are absurdly bad in this regard!
“Oh, you want to reduce the brightness? Scroll through 7 modes, including 4 epileptic seizure-inducing strobe modes, before you can get to low brightness mode.”
Yeah, my grandpa’s has like 3 of them for camping. They’re rechargeable and made really solid. You control the brightness by pulling on the front which slides the glass thing making it wider and darker or blinding bright but narrow.
That’s the focus your adjusting.
Peak power can only be maintained for a minute (if you are lucky) before it overheats. Peak power is the main advertised spec, so it has to be high and default mode so you don’t feel cheated when you turn it on for the first time. The other modes you toggle through are settings that can be sustained for extended periods of time.
I like using a lot of my flashlights diffrent functions at diffrent times. Although mine also has the option to turn off from whichever if you hold the power button so I don’t have to cycle through, which is nice.
Yeah, all the complicated flashlights with multiple settings I have used support turning on and off into the last used settings. I don’t think I’ve ever used a flashlight that forced you to cycle through everything. I had a bike light that did, but I got rid of it and replaced it with a flashlight mounted instead.
My go to light for work is a Streamlight Protac 2L-X. It has a few modes to set it up how you prefer. Plain bright. Low, bright. Bright, strobe.
Strobe is great for raves, self defense and epilepsy tests! (jk)
how do you change the mode?
It’s called 10 tap. So quickly half press (not clicking) the button 10 times, then press and hold. It goes to the next mode.
It is basically I/O limitations, and the majority of lights in this area likely have an origin in cycling lights as far as the silicon is concerned. I think that is the original high profit niche that drove a custom asic for the application of a PWM LED controller with integrated charging. Pretty much all other lights are built to a price. The chip likely has additional functionality but the actual designs are all built to a bare minimum price (or max profit margin). From this perspective, you’ll see a lot of the feature set differently. On a bike, one button is convenient as well. They usually fash too bright because of the default clock speed of the chip and a design that does not deviate from the chip’s example implementation.
you can build your own
My Pretzel headlamp turns on and off in steady full beam. Can choose to cycle through low beam and flashing if I want to with quick depressions of button. Switch to red light and back by depressing and holding button. Sometimes use low beam to save battery, red light to keep from loosing night vision, flashing to be seen, not see with.
Yeah, I’ve used strobe a few times.
The anduril settings make it easy imo.
But, we use it they’re at the house plenty, the strobe. If I’m out in the yard at night, doing some kind of crap in the rain (hello helene, the most recent event that I used it), flipping to the strobe is a quick and easy signal I need help. It lets everyone else stay dry (er, until I need them to come out lol), and means I don’t have to fumble with my phone in the wet and dark.
It’s not an every day thing, and it isn’t meant to be afaik.
It’s handy enough that my best friend and his husband now use the lights I bought them after they saw how well it worked and wanted the same thing.
We’ve also got a sort of awareness of it in the neighborhood now. My using it drew attention, and I explained why I was doing so. Everyone close enough to see the flash now knows that if it’s only on for a minute or so, it’s no big deal, and I know that after word spread, if I leave it going longer, they’ll know I need help, or at least check.
One of the neighbors bought his own wurkkos as word spread. It’s such a good signal at night that it’s likely going to be a thing in the entire neighborhood rather than just our block.
There’s even diffusers you can get for most lights that come in colors, so you could expand the signalling to have different meanings per color, if it became useful to do so.
Seriously, you have no idea how nice it is to not be fucking around in a storm either running back and forth for things, or having someone else just standing around miserable while you work just in case you need help.
It’s kinda niche, but at this point, I’ve got those kind of lights for everyone in the house just in case we need to be coordinated when sound is difficult (like in a freak hurricane lol).
So i carry a sure fire. They don’t. The one I carry takes a rechargeable 18650, and has 2 settings “intellibeam” that adjusts brightness based on near-and-far and intensity, and full-on-burn-your-eyes-out.
They have other lower cost models. Alternatively , if you’re not looking for something that’s incredibly bright, stream light offers a very inexpensive penlight that’s pretty handy. (Only complaint with that is they take AAAA’s)
I’ve generally steered away from them because of price, but I do have their Maximus headlamp. I don’t remember spending almost $500 on it at the time, but it was pretty steep especially for not having a removable battery
Yes, they’re expensive.
But also extremely reliable, I’ve had ever had one go bad on me.
But, again, if it’s out of your budget, streamlight offers less expensive options (though they’re the ones that started the feature-craze with stinger strobe.)
(Keep in mind, if you’re using the strobe as intended…it’s either going to piss people off or cause an epileptic seizure. So those “features” are basically useless.)
Agree. I hate having to click through 4 modes just to turn it off. On, dim, on and off slow, strobe…off. No!
Crazyslinkz@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
Maglite, the last one I bought has twist on and off. No flashing or buttons.
tilefan@lemm.ee 5 weeks ago
oh man, they’re still offering incandescent models alongside their LEDs. none of them are really inspiring hope though, even the smaller LED lights seem to have pretty pitiful lumen output compared to what I’m seeing out there
Crazyslinkz@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
Pick a battle. You requested no extra buttons or flashing or modes and now it’s not bright enough?
It works for me. Has light and no extra flashing modes. Hasn’t really failed me either. I drop shit, a lot.
tilefan@lemm.ee 5 weeks ago
I haven’t looked into maglite since proper LEDs priced them out of the market. I’ll take another look
Crazyslinkz@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
maglite.com/…/ml25lt-2c-led-flashlight
This one is similar. 2 c cell batteries and no buttons.