Yep. I bought a handful of the Sofirn SD03s with that ring design when they were closing them out, to have as “bring it back for recharging” li-ion loaners.
Also bought a handful of the Sofirn SF13s (2xAA) to hand to people who won’t return them, putting in Energizer “blue and silver” lithium primaries so they’ll last a few years in storage drawers.
Frankly, I’d love to see a 1-mode light that automagically turns itself off after, say, 10min, unless “refreshed” with a bap on the button.
Too many times certain old-timers can leave a light face-down when still on, then grex about the batteries being dead, annoying those who need to replace said batteries on a regular ongoing basis.
Yes - one single mode, moderately bright. It is hard to gift lights and expect people to remember their UI. I have been thinking through possible Christmas gifts that would not get super hot and just have on and off.
I did vote for always start on high. Otherwise people will think the battery is dying, light is defective, or very dim.
It doesn’t exist but here it is:
One click on, one click off, hold ramping from moon all the way to turbo. And that’s it.
Config is fine as long as it’s extremely hard to get to accidentally.
Narsilm is actually pretty good for older people, anduril is my favorite for me but I wouldn’t give it to my dad.
I am not sure why people think Anduril is so difficult. At it’s simplist, it is ramp up/ramp down (with memory), doubleclick for full power. What on earth could be simpler?
I admit that the diagram can be confusing and there are a lot of modes that muggles will not use. But basic operation is simple and requires very little thought to get from low to high or high to low, to instantly go into turbo, and has memory to leave it at the setting that you would like to start at. It also has a moon mode that is a little trickier to get to , so that you can start it up low no matter the memory setting.
I am not trying to convince people of Anduril. With no previous knowledge of flashlights or modes, I was able to figure it out a good basic operation for me in about 10 minutes. The hardest thing to do is set the strobe to candle (I hate strobes) and configure temp. That actually took reading the manual. Otherwise, it is an ultra simple interface to operate.
As Lightbringer points out, this is a common user failure.
A bezel with some cutouts so the light’s visible when the flashlight is head-down can remedy this situation.
If someone I was supporting killed their batteries more than once, I think I’d take a file to the bezel and carve out some notches.
Wouldn’t help. I’ve gone around turning off all the lights at night and see a light dimly glowing on its side.
I’d need one like one of those magic faucets that turn on for X seconds when you wave your hands by the sensor, then turn off.
For a muggle?
1-mode. Quick single-click for on-off.
So easy, my cat could figure it out.
Hmm, maybe that’s who’s running down my batteries…
Hey Matt,
That is a great question for debate. As I have read most of the comments on this subject each of them have merit. I think it basically boils down to whom the light is for as well as the intended purpose.
A good rule of thumb is to gauge the energy level of the user and slightly give weight to age. older = simpler.
I think that a second assessment would be the size of the light they desire (which would dictate battery size). No matter who the user everybody wants it to work and work well when called upon therefore eliminating all but the essentials is really every ones initial preference.
So think about it like this: When I (you, them or whoever) use a light im either a sub 30 second user or a 5 minute user and if I have it on longer than that i have probably set it down tending to another task. I would say an auto off feature would be nice but Im not that absent minded and wouldnt want to have to spend any amount of time scratching around looking to where i set it down. If power management is a major factor then perhaps the last ramp would go to a low light blink.
With all that being said a good configuration which will provide perhaps the best of all worlds would be a light who initial startup be at 100. Then after say thirty second of continued use ramp down to 60 and after a minute or five ramp down to 25%. just in case they set it down and forgot it. If the ramp down isnt desired all they have to do is turn if off then on again. You could play with the ramp down intervals to best suit the user. Otherwise their only upfront options would be on or off.
Simplicity is covered, power management is built in, they are still woo’d by the brightness factor, and you maintain your title as hero. lol.
*Of course a hidden menu system if you so choose but not one so easy to get to. And absolutely provide extra battery and charger.
Pragmatically this makes a lot of sense. I have an SD05 and the simplicity is undeniable. Mode spacing could be broader but it’s not really designed as a general purpose light. I do wonder if a lot of people would be turned off, so to speak, by such a novel switching style.
Weather side or tail clicky or twisty I would favor a single mode, MLH without mem and maybe even a L-H like some of the tentap streamlights do. It is very convenient and easy to utilize either a low general purpose mode of a bright high.
or how bout this. a voice command light. think of the possibilities.
everything else is voice command so why not
what firelight2 said. also: small, robust, waterproof, with a lanyard in neon colors.
A non flashaholic does not understand modes. They would be all confused to figure out why the battery drains out if the memory mode light turns on the light on low.
While on this subject/Poll vestureofblood. I can’t help but think of what’s next. By that I mean. Once clicked to high for example. What level comes next? (for us, or a non-flashaholic)
I will never forget, the first time I got a flashlight that went from low-med-high . . . . then back to med on the next click. You should have seen the look on my face! Oh my goodness. I never, ever, want to have a flashlight ever again, or gift one to a non-flashaholic. That goes low-med-high, and then back directly to low.
rather it go L M H, no memory
I like the BLF A6 interface
click = on
press = next level, increasing, goes from high to low at the end, with memory (can toggle memory via config)
click again = off
it is simple
gives access to all levels
does not start on blinding high (esp with memory off, always starts on low)
strobes are not accessible by accident
wle
that seems like the simplest safest thing in the world, though, to me
i HATE LMHML etc - you can never predict what the next click will do - will it go up or down>? i never know
wle
There are muggles and then there are muggles. The muggleliest muggle should have one moderately bright level that won’t overheat the host no matter how long it runs.
true - you would need to define 2 or 3 muggle types…
ok.
i’ll play.
Muggle Types.
MT1: child. first flashlight. stares into it. tries to flush it. twice.
MT2: senior. cannot find the three flashlights they have…somewhere.
MT3: novice. everyone has to start sometime from somewhere for everything.