FW3A Lockout question

I have searched and have not found this mentioned but will admit I have not read all the posts on the FW3A, there are very many. I can not find this documented in any of the user guides either. Maybe I am simply blind?

When I have my FW3A in electronic lockout and press-hold the switch button the light comes on in moonlight as long as I hold the button. Moonlight is the “floor” level set in the ramping. This is documented.

If, when the light is in electronic lockout, I do a quick double click and hold the button down after the second click, the light is on at a slightly higher brightness level. I have not measured the lumens… it is much brighter than moonlight, but still rather low level. Do all the FW3A’s do this? Is this normal? A hidden feature?

If this has been mentioned I apologize for missing the info.

Thanks.

This is normal.

The ones with the newer firmware versions have this feature. I have one with it and one without it.

This is an added feature included in the FW update just after the FW3A initial release.
The firmware was updated during the SST20 run.

Other updates along in this firmware:
updated thermal regulation
updated candle mode

Fun fact about the 2-stage lockout. (also useful)
In ramping mode the light works as you described, momentary moon, and low with double momentary.

In stepped mode (the lowest now is low, not moon) and the light gives low with momentary and moon with double momentary.

Single-click while in lockout gives you the floor of ramped mode (moonlight).

Double-click while in lockout gives you the floor of stepped mode (low).

This is true if locked while in ramped mode.

If locked while in stepped mode the opposite happens.

Great! I never noticed this behavior in the first one I hot… first batch I think. I gave it away, then got this one a week nor so ago and stumbled upon the 2 stage lockout/momentary. I like it!

Yes, and I’ve been looking for feedback on what would be preferable…

  • 1 click = current ramp floor, 2 clicks = other ramp floor
  • 1 click = lowest ramp floor, 2 clicks = highest ramp floor

Basically, should the first click use the current floor or the lowest? There are reasons to go either way.

I like going to the lowest level with the first click and next up on the second click. Same reason to me, why I like all my lights to turn on to the lowest level from off. I’ve felt the need to turn on to high level/turbo from off. Of course some lights also give you turbo directly from off, and that is okat too. But mostly I like to be able to go from off to moonlight.

I like it the way it is now.

The main reason to have ‘1 click = lowest ramp floor, 2 clicks = highest ramp floor’
is overall consistency.

But ‘1 click = current ramp floor, 2 clicks = other ramp floor’
is also consistent within each of the 2 modes. (moonlight way not be as familiar/useful to someone that uses stepped mode)

And although having moonlight after low, in stepped mode, is not very useful or intuitive,
the benefit of being able to set the first click in lockout to either moonlight or low is high.

Overall it feels like added functionality, more options.

Tough call on this… I would be happy with either.

I think if pressured to give a preference, I’d go with: 1 click = lowest ramp floor, 2 clicks = highest ramp floor

Most of my NarsilM and Anduril flashlights are set in stepped mode and i’m using moonlight quite often with the ones I pocket EDC (I don’t use moonlight with my BLF GT).
My old HDS is also set since long for momentary and I programmed modes to have the lowest momentary with 1 click and a brighter momentary with a click + hold.
My HDS is programmed to have more light with more clicks.

How do you achieve that?
Because if you have set the ramp floor to moonlight in stepped mode, you get what you want (single click moonlight in lockout) either way.

If this is how you have set your floor in either ramped or stepped mode,
you, as well, get what you want either way.

I probably not understood correctly what you meant. I thought you were saying that someone using stepped mode won’t be familiar with moonlight and/or won’t consider it useful.
I’m not talking about the momentary feature here, just moonlight mode so your consideration/statement sounded odd to me.

Now concerning momentary feature, I like the idea of a two stages momentary but don’t know how you could achieve this when you are using both ramping with the lowest possible floor.
As I’m sometimes switching from stepped ramping to stepless ramping but don’t have on hand a flashlight with a two stages momentary, I can only imagine that I would be bothered to have to change the floor settings for stepped and stepless ramping to keep the same behaviour (lowest momentary with 1 click, brighter momentary with two clicks) with ’1 click = current ramp floor, 2 clicks = other ramp floor’ even if it is the more logical.

Using the 2 different default settings of the stepless floor and stepped floor for making a two stages momentary is clever but I just wished there was another way as i’m using both ramping. Anyway, will decide how to set the momentary when I will have my FW3C on hand. I guess that I will not be that much bothered with a higher floor in stepless ramping since I don’t use it often.

Configurable levels for lockout momentary would be awesome. That would also solve the discussion about which ramp floor to use for each variant.

Mine does this also, have been looking for the reason. I must have one of the newer ones. :+1:

Sure, but we would still have to discuss if you can program different values for the 2 modes and what the default values would be. :slight_smile:

In the FW3A, we’re probably limited by the attiny85 (only so much memory for code). This is probably why TK used the ramp floor(s) for setting the value rather than making a menu option to set the value. That, or to make it simple.

It makes sense to use ramp floor settings for the 2 stages lockout which is better to be low (pocket activation).
Fisrt it is the user’s lowest setting so it might be something that the user finds low but practical.
Second since most people only use one ramping type, the other floor can be set to a different level (without interfering with your main ramping type settings).
Third and it is the beauty of the thing, TK made a new feature just by reusing two existing settings = economy of code.

Pretty sure this is her kind of thing instead of making another menu option. Maybe i’m wrong but for me it is TK in a nutshell.

i’ve only noticed pocket activations when i’ve press the button somehow
i will have that warm feeling
then i can usually remember, oh yeah, i was trying to clip it or something
it does activate easily, but my point is, it never just comes on for no reason
i usually use IMR cells, i don’t think they can get the amps to go to pocket-burning mode
plus i have CEILING set 20—25 clicks below max, whatever that is

wle