What would be your ideal mode configuration on a flashlight?

And I want to have a high PWM frequency (>1kHz) ... I'm getting more and more annoyed at my Maratac AAA and Solarforce 3-mode Medium/Low-modes. Or better current regulated. I am starting to use high modes, even if I don't need it, just to avoid those pseudo strobes.

@brted:

I'm sort of basing the mode options on the Fenix modes. I can definitely see myself using all 3 of those low modes. Moonlight for an emergency, Very Low for a dark house at night, or Low for a typical night outdoors.

I would like to vote for Low - Medium - Maximum bur did not get the option.

But Im satisfied that I and others are in the lead so far.

I agree, which is the problem with Lows: you need (okay, want) different levels for different things. That's why I'd just rather be able to set it (fairly easily). I think 4Sevens has the right idea with their tactical Quarks. I've come really, really close to getting one of their 2xCR123A neutral tint Quarks before deciding it wasn't worth $65 just for the UI when I'm pretty happy with my neutral 504B with a 3-mode NANJG driver. I still might do it. Wish they had an 18650 version (without buying the body tube separately), but could always buy a 17670 (or whatever they are).

Ok, now there are options for:

Very Low → Medium → Maximum

and

Low → Medium → Maximum

It was a very, very tough choice between DX #8 and BLF #6 but I finally went with #6. Wink I love turning on my lights in max mode mainly for show-off purposes and because I just absolutely love super bright torches. Cool

Spacing wise what I would want is:

very low: 1 lumen

low: 15-20 lumen

medium-high: 80 lumen

high-turbo: blazing sun

This is assuming that the light puts out at the very least a true 150 lumens, preferably 200+. The inner kid in me would like at least one flashy mode even if its not entirely practical. Kids love flashy modes.

Easy enough to get - just about every light out there will do flashy modes. Some of them are even decent lights.

And a lot of them aren't.....

I probably have more than 60 lights that can do the disco bit and not one of them has ever been used for real in that mode.

Strangely enough, I actually do have a practical use for strobe flashlights. Where I live, there are vicious dogs roaming loose all over the streets, especially at night. I have found a strobe light pointed at their eyes to be quite effective at staving them off without making a big ruckus.

But, as Don said above, lights with a strobe are a dime a dozen, and I already have...quite a few! :-) The rare thing is a light without strobes, so that's my current pastime here at BLF.

I miss Med-->Low-->Max or Med-->Max-->Low options. Voted BLF #6.

Very low = Moon mode 1-2Lumen

Low = 20Lumen

Med = 80Lumen

Hi = Max

In fact , I could live with , 20-80-Max for a 3 mode ...

Or even better still would be a light that just ramped ...

If only there where drivers available like the Nitecore D10 and D20 have. Ramping with shortcuts to low and max and also memory, that should suit everbody.

BLF #2 is still winning by a very slim margin...

Yeah, look what you did Mr. Admin... 3 mentally disordered people voted all-strobe... some Chinese manufacturers will read this poll and think: "There actually is a market for an all-strobe flashlight!"... it's all your fault, when the next ten flashlights on DX are all-strobe.... what started as a joke... it will haunt us .... I tell ya....

;-)

No kidding! I'm halfway thinking about deleting those votes from the DX #9 option...

Ok, the people who voted for option DX #9 must be called to account...

how2

and

juhha

...please stand up! To punish you both I think I am going to send you a flashing flashlight in the mail and see how you like it!

;)

Why low to high? The ITP I have is Med-low-high and that's probably the most practical config.

In any case, it wouldn't matter as much if the mode memory worked. Low to high may be beneficial since it's like the light ramps up. It literally costs nothing but marginally QC for working memory, and only like 20% of my lights have it. Most of the rest with modes have that retarded 1-2 minute "memory" which in practice just means it's always skipping to the next mode, but not always just to mess with you.

Practically I think you either have 3 useful modes like 100%, 30% and very low/moonlight (I can't imagine anything else being used that much), or 5-6 "scaled" modes that's 100%/30%/10%/3%/1%, and with perfect memory it'll work like a programmable light.

Did someone say - "strobe"? Blasphemy... ;-) ....... 5 votes.... the world has come to an end... people do want strobes.

Wait a minute... what are you doing Mr. Admin??? ... now you are promising them FREE flashlights???.....I have lost all trust in you..

In my defence I clicked the wrong one

I wanted 1 Mode only.

First choice would be BLF5 (very low, med, max) and I could get away with BLF6 (low, med, high) as that is basically how my Akoray-106 is programmed.

I would also be interested in a BLF1 if the very low mode was removed...so moonlight, low, med, and max.