I think doing something along these lines is a great ideal. I had, still have somewhere; one of those Duracell Durabeam lights. It was a handy little companion.
Remade/redesigned with new materials, LED, & electronic internals I think it could be a definite winner…. especially marketed to the general public.
Keep it simple & a AA format, Alkileaks or NiMh…. no 14500 support at all & NO USB Charging.
Keep the UI simple & easy for anyone to use… a flashlight for the everyday consumer. I know I would buy some & know right off hand others who would also.
Please consider this Sofirn.
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@ PBWilson …. I had not seen that Sofirn Weapon Light …. thank you for the link!! .
The Duracell would need a lot of updating, but the overall idea seems to work.
Those slide style switches work a lot better with gloves than a side e-switch does. I wouldn’t mind a regular Omten reverse clicky as a side push-button switch. Getting it at the right height would be necessary. I don’t want it sticking out too far, but also not inset so far that a gloved hand can’t find it.
With led indicator lights in the button, it would look nice and be easier to find in the dark too.
For this kind of light, sure don’t need Li-Ion support or built-in charger. But a great mid-high current 2xAA boost driver would be a nice upgrade. Since it’s a side-by-side 2xAA, it doesn’t need support below 1V input like a single AA boost driver would. So, it can be made with a much stronger output.
If it’s gonna have a rectangular reflector like the Duracell light, maybe better to put two emitters in a split reflector. One could be for spot and the other for flood. With two emitters, you can get more lumens per watt too, because LEDs are more efficient at lower current. In this case, the slide switch wouldn’t be a good idea. It would be better to have a clicky and be able to turn on either one LED or the other, or both for more light. A lot of headlamps have this ability.
I think Sofirn could really have a winner if they paid attention to a remake of the 2AA/14500 side by side light as outlined above.\
There already exists a niche market for this type of light and if done properly, the masses would beat a path to Sofirn’s door to acquire it
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Manker and Sunwayman tried, but got it wrong. Move the switch as outlined above for starters and listen to BLFers to get it right. Then everybody will want one.
That sounds like a good idea.
At some point I seriously considered two of the lights showed in OP:
Manker T02 - which has that stupid Manker UI (long press for off)…
Sunwayman D20A - which was just crazy expensive for what it was.
If Sofirn could merge attractive project and their usual price point I’d defo get one. I wouldn’t mind NarsilM/Anduril running it.
Pretty good idea. I would engineer flashlight to accept ” duel fuel ” cells. 18650, 16650, CR123A, RC123A. Release regular and limited editions like copper, titanium, etc….
Those Duracell lights have the nostalgia factor built in. In a good execution with a sliding switch for off to brightest and decent waterproofing, they would sell in my opinion. Warm tint would be a plus!
Keep it simple, 2X AA powered for one model, see if it sells and then come out with a rechargeable version with built in 18650 and charging port.
We had a Duracell Durabeam in one car or another for years. Till one day the batteries leaked and destroyed it. When it gave up its ghost no other durabeams of the same vintage could be found.
Yes it was easy to use and hold. Not to large or small. Not expensive or cheap. Maybe a updated version would be nice. Can not beat a basic on/off switch for ease of operation. Maybe it is time to 3D print some new examples. I have not acquired a 3D printer of late.
I like the Nitecore MT22, it is cheap, has a simple and functional UI, seems bombproof, and I personally am very ok with the switch on the back. I do not easily see how Sofirn can improve on it, except placing the switch in a different position.
Wow, someone other than me likes the old AA Durabeam. I got one of those Duracell flashlights as a kid for Christmas in the early to mid 1980s. I loved it, I put it in my mouth when bicycling home at night as a kid in areas where there were no streetlights, it was my first EDC. What a great memory.
I like the Nitecore MT22A light as well. Get rid of the strobe, and put a nice NW emitter in it. I was going to buy a few of the Nitecores for the kids while camping, but the strobe function in the main mode group killed the deal for me. Didn’t want the kids strobing in the campgrounds.
Simple 4 mode, water proof, tail stand, and inexpensive.
Wow, blast from the past! I had one of these as a kid, and I loved it to bits, first torch of a reputable brand that I’ve ever had. It rode in my pocket a pot and saw relentless use until the host’s plastics cracked too much to hold the black casing in place. When it gave up the ghost, the switch’s tin plate was oxidized, the reflector was more cracked than a boiled egg before peeling, and certain sections of the brown plastic were beige from elastic fatigue.
If you ask me, two LEDs (liked the “one flood, one throw” idea) driven to produce about 15-20 lumens each, with only one mode. That way a slide switch can be used and muggles will love the simplicity. And no, it should be all alkie or NiMH, no going fancy with battery formats, save that for a special model.
This may became interesting. It seems most of serious players on flaslight market already discovered advantages of rectangular section host. On the other hand I hope the beam will not have any visible rectangularity.
