Hi there Juhaz, thanks for mentioning this point. I also want to see accurate specs from manufacturers and sellers. But in this case I think you might be mixing up two different sellers.
The user "znmzdx" aka Daniel is from Lightake.com, and they were the first to offer a customized Mrlite J4 with 180+ lumens. He's not trying to mislead anyone with that number, in fact he and I were the ones that requested those exact mode settings from Mrlite. The thing is that the custom J4 apparently really is incredibly bright on 14500, according to the review by Old4570 (he measured somewhere near 250 lumens). Obviously on a NiMH AA it wouldn't be that bright, but I don't think Daniel knows that. At any rate, you might want to PM znmzdx and suggest he change that in his catalog.
I was talking first of all with Daniel at Lightake to see if we could get a customized BLF signature light. Since he wanted to offer the product as soon as possible, he didn't have time to wait for a new batch of the lights to be manufactured and custom labelled with the BLF AA-Y4E moniker. So I then went to Manafont.com and asked if they would like to work with us. They agreed, and they now offer the BLF AA-Y4E, custom labelled, with custom modes, and purportedly with a 5000K tint. So the BLF AA-Y4E is not quite the same as the custom J4 that Lightake sells. The Manafont product page states the following about modes:
Mode #1: Very low (1 lumen, 4ma current draw)
Mode #2: Low (6 lumens)
Mode #3: Medium (70 lumens)
Mode #4: Maximum (200+ lumens on 14500)
Does this sound accurate? I think it's clear and honest. I wasn't too sure what effect the voltage of the AA vs 14500 would have on the first three modes, since they are artificially limited on purpose, and I though it would be confusing to list two specs for AA and 14500. But the highest max mode really should be well over 200 lumens with a 14500, according to Old4570's review. I'm still not sure about the amperage of the lowest mode, and when we receive our lights in the mail I'm sure someone will take readings and suggest that Manafont adjust their product page if necessary.
Based on initial demand, I think. Actually the real question would be "How many is Manafont willing to order from Mrlite?". Mrlite will produce a minimum order of something like 20, or they can make thousands if someone orders them. As I mentioned elsewhere, the risk really falls on Manafont, because they are not doing the typical drop-shipping method of ordering from the manufacturer on-demand, but rather they actually purchased a batch of these from Mrlite, and now they have to sell them or else they lose out. This is an advantage for the customer because they ship within hours instead of waiting for days for the product to arrive from their supplier's warehouse, as DX does. Therefore it's a bit more risky for Manafont. But the good news is that I asked them how sales are going for the BLF AA-Y4E, and they were very happy with the initial response.
I'm in for a Black one. Still can't believe this light got done for $17. In the budget world this light is one of a kind without peer. The programmable Akoray-106 is a great light and has some advantages, but it does not have the low-low of the BLF.
Actually, I'm waiting for reviews from rzezniq and how2, both of whom "plan on buying a $500 Wolf Eyez flashlight from Neverbuying.com". You guys didn't think I would let you get away with clicking that option without suffering a public shaming, did you?
If these are so easy to make, I wonder if they can do 3-4-1-2 modes for next batch. I can't imagine people falling in love with flipping through all modes to get to high.
So, how about it, admin? Up to the challenge? There's nothing to lose by asking them to try my idea for the next bunch and we can let the reviewers decide which is best:
I’m the opposite as I can’t imagine dealing with a full blast of high at night when I want low. I’m not certain if I use my highest mode or lowest mode the most in my lights (I suspesct I use the lowest more) but cycling from low to get to high (when needed) is much less of a nuisance to my eyes than dealing with full blast high when I want moonlight mode.
Same for me. I guess this light has outsold their expecatations. As Mr. Admin said, the company buys these lights in quantities and then sells them to us…my guess is that around 25 of each color was ordered and I wonder if silver is still available (I ordered Black).
I noticed this post just after I placed my order - is this a message you got when placing an order for one of these lights? There's nothing on the product page to indicate they're out of stock.
I expect two full reviews out of you, sir!
