We cannot agree if we need standard UI or not, do you believe we can agree on 1 standard UI?
Here is one reason: With ramping, you never know exactly at what output level you are, which means you can’t accurately estimate runtime.
I wouldn’t go that way!! I guess that even if ramping can give us those “levels” or more, having preset established levels is a way to be sure of what we will have when we do the next press on the switch! For people that don’t use ramping, that is a major thing. You will have level X and then Y and that’s what you expect (or need)
Also, and again, we will all have different UI preferences. So I believe we won’t need to get too rational or too emotional 
:innocent:
EDIT: There is no “One Ring to Rule them ALL” in what concerns to flashlights! :face_with_monocle:
How do you know that nobody uses it? Just because you don’t, it doesn’t mean nobody does.
I use lock-out on my Nitecore Tip every time I travel with it to prevent accidental turn-on in the bag.
I think you are barking up a wrong tree. The whole beauty of BLF community and the manufacturers that tailor to it is the variety that it offers. We all like different things, and having different UIs and flashlights gives us options.
I have a driver with 3 constant current levels (no PWM) how do you plan to use your standard UI with it?
A control ring (rotary) maybe ? 
Ahah, I knew you’d catch this one :smiling_imp:
I guess even with a control ring people would still need/want different things as UI, either it was preset levels, rampings, stepless dimming or anything else
But, for sure, a control ring is a good way to please many people. (While another amount would still dislike )
This is just another “if it’s useless to me, it’s useless for everybody!” thread. Ignore.
And that’s why we can’t have nice things. All right-thinking people agree that long-press for off is of the devil. :smiling_imp:
Why can’t Linux standardize on one desktop, and all programmers settle for one programming language? SMH.
!https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/standards.png !:xkcd: Standards
Pretty much, yeah. Get out of your bubbles, kids, the world is far larger than that of your Fakebook circle.
Finding a particular output quickly is a pain. EVERY ramping UI I have used is either too fast to get exactly the ouput I want, or too slow to do so with.
I just want to point out this is absolutely untrue, at the average distance from a monitor or TV, with their average size the human eye can see WAY more detail than is even offerred by 4K. And what about photo/video editing? Surely those professionals have no idea what improves their product.
That is a impossible to answer. What is rational to you may not be to me and vise versa. Sounds like you want to make a UI that you like and then everyone who doesn’t will just have to live with it. Then when you make changes to it we will have to adjust to that as well.
Sounds exactly what we already have.
Grab a driver. Program it to your liking and be happy. A standardized UI probably goes against what most flashlight enthusiast want. We like to modify and make things our own. To have one standard UI would be a insult to those of us who appreciate lights for what they are.
Don’t be upset that lights don’t have exactly the UI you want. Find a way to make it yours. Get dirty, do some research, make it yours. Just don’t try to make it ours.
How to program a driver?
And why do I need to get a driver?
Can’t original drivers be reprogrammed?
Multiple UIs are a serious safety issue. Currently i have 4 recent lights with 4 different UIs and two more from from legacy lights. To my wife and any muggle, in a life and death situation, it may very well be death.
That is why i am collecting what i like, but plan to buy a larger EDC and then make it standard in all the cars and house. About 6 lights.
Currently, I’m buying the SP33 which may be it or the Convoy S2.
My better half will then get the same training she got for using firearms. Blindfolded, rinse and repeat. Muscle memory.
Maybe it sounds funny to some, but to me, it borders on lunacy to have an emergency tool that one needs to “figure out”.
EDIT…we’re talking about it and her go-to is the Coast SP14. Back button, click on or off. Zero choices. Zero confusion. Zero panic.
Good thing most lights with complicated UIs aren’t sold specifically as “emergency tools”. That’s what the single mode P60s, Pelicans, etc. are for.
For emergency, it’s best to just get some single mode lights or ones that can be programmed to function as such. The simpler the better. Fancy UIs have their place, but not in this case.
I resemble your absolutist style. LOL
its as simple as 1, 2, 3!
1. IF you like pushing buttons
Olight has the PERFECT UI!
Always buy the same brand, and all your problems will be solved. (not)
2. IF you dont like pushing buttons
Jetbeam RRT-01 has the PERFECT UI! (unless you want a momentary maximum single mode only, then look at Surefire? or you want a tailswitch so you can have a memory function on a rotary, then buy Sunwayman V10R Ti, or not )
3. IF you cant decide between the two, dial or button, HDS has the PERFECT UI, it has both! (except the rotary dial sucks on that light, it skips levels in hops that feel like a strobe, and half the dial is spent on 12 different levels below 2 lumens)
wait, what?
LOL
thanks for the comic relief:-)
I respect your enthusiastic style Kat
I think we should meet in person… and get to know each other better
I agree and disagree……
The “panic” situation happened recently when we thought we heard something in our house. Watching tv and suddenly some loud noise……shut off the tv……I quietly shuffle to the den and grab the Q8…she grabs the phone….I turn on the Q* and NOTHING……oops, tighten it up……ramp it up……shut it off so we have surprise advantage and wait for any new noises. Nothing. Do a quick tour to make sure nothing there.
Take away is that I had a tiny WTF because I forgot that I unscrew the lights and had to hold it against my body to ramp it up. The Coast HP 14 is simply click on to full power. She would NOT grab the Q8 to investigate, she would grab the Coast. So now, I have to find a light that replaces that and put one in the kitchen, one in the bedroom, one in the family room and one in each car.
So yes, the Q8 is a hobby light…and NOT a hobby light. It’s 5000 lumens not only flood the entire house or yard, but on an inside the house inspection, it’s light penetrates massively through the curtains and warns anyone outside that there is someone home.
Agreed.
Even if not one simple on/off, just two or three steps to take advantage of the huge lumens that some are capable.
Lets say a 2500 lumen light that has 300, 1000, 2500. . 300 for sustained emergency measured in many hours, 1000 for sustained searching and 2500 for emergency b/e inspection with the added bonus of blinding perps.
If you’re inside watching TV, wouldn’t anyone outside already know you were home?
Besides, you don’t need 5000 lumen to let others know you’re in the house. A Convoy S2+ on full power will easily accomplish this as well, IMO. And no need to unscrew it either since it has a physical switch.