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I'm curious as to what everyones preference is as far as a flashlight having memory.
It seems to me to be a "crutch" for a UI that we would probably prefer not to have but that is just a fact of life for budget light...hi,med, low, strobe or something similar.
The idea I suppose is that if you usually use one mode in particular the light will come on in that mode next time you turn the light on saving you from having to go though the whole cycle each time.
One downside is that with memory if you use it on medium one time and want high the next time you must go though the strobe mode (s).
Another downside is that you never know what mode it is going to come on in.
The benefits of no memory are just the opposite of course. You know what mode it is going to come on in (even if it's not the mode you want) and you never have to go though strobe since you can always just turn the light off and have it start in high.
Which do you prefer and why?
Depends on the mode order.
What he said. But as a general, no memory for me. I want to be sure to witch brightness the torch is going when clicking it on. Even if I hadn't used it for long time and don't remember to which setting I left it the last time. I flash my own drivers and nowadays I leave the memory out.
I like one-mode lights more every day, but that's a topic I will address to later in more detail...
Explain?
Hi,med,lo you want memory and lo,,med,hi you do not?
I'm not a fan of memory myself and I am also appreciating one-mode lights more every day. Not for all of my lights but there are certain applications where I prefer it for several reasons.
I often turn my lights off and then on for short periods of time, and in this case, memory is more functional as it keeps my previous setting. Whenever I use a light for an extended period then it doesn't really matter.
My personal preference is for L-M-H with no memory.
If it's H-M-L_etc I'll take the memory.
+1 Exactly.
I like no memory, but only if the "reset time" (you turn the light off and wait some amount of time before the light internally resets to its first mode) is short, like 2 seconds or less. Then no matter where you are in the mode order, you can quickly get to mode 1 by half-pressing the light and holding it for the reset time. I like a reset time of about 0.7 s because that's long enough that I'll never hold down the switch for that long while changing modes.
+1
and... it will depend on size and how low is low, i.e. L-M-H for big lights and probably M-H-L for small lights. Anyway, better with mem, IMO.
BTW, is there any light with, lets say, temporary memory? Let me explain: you have L-M-H light with temp. memory. Every time you switch it off, the memory will retain the last mode for... 6 hours. I see it very handy: start at Low, you switch it to Hi because you need more light. You turn it off, and then 10 mins. later you turns it on again, last mode is used. If 6 or more hours has been passed, if you turn it on, it will be on Low, first mode. Could be useful if you use it night and day time.
So far I only have two types of lights, an AKOray K-106 that I pocket EDC, and a couple of P60 based Solarforces. An L2 on my AR-15 and an L2T that I EDC in my "belly-bag" next to my M27.
Both w/ XP-G 3-mode low voltage drop-ins. I like lights with memory, H,M,L.
I'm trying to learn how to program my own drivers to include some kind of "moon-light" mode. I'd like a VERY low level light for first and last use of the day.
I must say, I see a lot of users that like really high level/bright lights. Whatever happened to "night adapted" vision? More on this later.
Getting late for me, goodnight everyone.
It all depends on what you use the light for. If you're in the woods with your dogs, and there's nobody else around, but there could be bears, coyotes, skunks, etc. nearby, you want a lot of light, just in case. I wouldn't want a triple XM-L 1-mode light, but I really value having a multi-mode high-output light. I use it on L or M, but if I hear something, I switch to H and have a look around. If you're just going for "city walks" at night though, then sure, a single AAA light, or no light at all, would suffice. Or maybe not, if your city has muggers. :)
Would this be low enough? Right one is 4Sevens Quark Turbo on moonlight, Ansi rated at 0,2 lumens. On left is my custom TR-803 featuring XML T6 and Nanjg 105 driver flashed with homebrew (well, BLF brewed anyway) software.
TR-803 is 4 mode no memory, starting from moonlight.
PRefer memory but good and fast kicking in. If it's messy rather a fixed hi-lo.
@HID45:
With 1.2MHz, prescaler 1, phase-correct PWM (i.e. 2.4kHz PWM) the lowest mode for me is with a PWM value of 2; a value of 1 doesn't give me any output, maybe it's too fast for the AMCs. That value of 2 gives a very low mode(~5mA avg), but still much higher than what you get I guess. What settings do you use for that ultra-low low?
It depends on the light. For my car i use i light without memory with strobe mode, my EDC must have memory (i often need to start in low mode).
Obviously if the mode order is exactly what yuo need you don't want memory.
Personally, i prefer to have memory also if i don't need to use it everyday (if it is fast kicking in).
I love memory, but the most cheap light don't have it. I use the stars driver of Kaidomain, to get what I want, if the drop-in has no memory: 2,8A, 3 Mode without blinking, memory.
I had an MTE SSC-P7 without memory mode, and it always started in mid-mode, wich was perfect on my bike (mid/low/high/strobe/sos). To switch back from high to mid, just keep the switch depressed for 2 seconds, no need to get passed the flashing modes. I gave that one away because now i have a 3-mode Ultrafire C2 XM-L with mode memory, and it does not have any flashing modes.
I also have a Saintfire K20, that one had memory mode when i just got it, but now it has "alzheimer", it has lost it's memory... Now low is always the first mode, and i don't really like that because that is the least used mode for me.
Yeah HID45,
That looks low enough, I think.
My use for a very low low is to find my shoes before sunrise or again after sunset without waking my wife by lighting the room. I had even thought of trying some kind of red filter arrangement.
A P60 host is a little large for most of my needs, but would eliminate carrying 2 EDC lights when considering it's role as night-time companion, along with my CCW.
I do like my AKOray K-106 for EDC, it's just a little wimpy for the "bright work". I only need to see someone well at 20 - 50 yards.
I like that H.M.L.XL, format because I can jump from the very low mode to full brightness with a second tap of the switch.
I would be really be happy with just moving the low setting down by say half, and keeping everything else as is.
Since Christmas is on the way, I'd throw in a "hidden mode" strobe. As long as I wouldn't have to page through it to use the standard modes.