[Q] FL with easy control (for older people)

You sure you want a small light like that? Lightweight, sure, but harder to grip and fiddle with the switch.

I’d suggest an Ultrafire DV-S9.

Sure, it’s big, takes a 26650, but includes a sleeve to use an 18650, which would lighten the heft of the light.

It’s got a magnetic slider, just like a wall-mounted dimmer-switch, so it goes from off to full-tilt and everything in-between. Nothing to “figure out”.

Parasitic drain is only 10mA, so should last a while before needing a recharge. Use a protected cell like a panny-B just in case. Lights like an UF F13 and even the cheap-as-crap (and I mean that in the most literal sense) UF AT-01 include adapters for 3×AAA, too. Might want to get one of those adapters…

I just gave mum an AT-01 with the 3×AAA adapter, because I don’t trust her with any Li cells, even protected. And yeah, sometimes I see her strobing away ’til she figures out she’s gotta bap the switch again. :person_facepalming:

But, at least it replaces the army of garbage-lights she collected over the years, all those 9-LED tubes and showerhead lights. They all just flicker away at this point, yet she refuses to dump them.

Only 16bux or so at FT (sale?). See if the BLF discount works in conjunction with the price-drop. Think I’m gonna order another one anyway. :smiley:

As far as the AT-01, if you’re willing to do one quick solder-blob, you can bypass the 3-pin controller IC on the driver board and make it a 1-mode light. This way you got a zoomie that has a decent flood which they can just leave as-is and just use the tailswitch.

If not, then I’d $ugge$t a 2×AA MiniMag with LED upgrade (eg, 1W Nite-Ize drop-in). Simple twisty on/off, decent flooder, not painfully bright, eats plain ol’ AAs, lasts a lifetime… not just their lifetime but probably yours and your kids’, too. Bulletproof.

Thanks for reply!

Well I don’t want some extra large flashlight… 26650 is also good size.
This flashlight looks usable, but 10mA draw is very high (3Ah Li-ion will be dead in 12 days, that’s unacceptable).
I already found this light and the high drain is mentioned everywhere. It doesn’t have charging, but this can be solved by the 3*AAA holder (I don’t want my grandparents straggling with li-ions and chargers).
But maybe there would be a way to change the electronics with my own MCU to get better light (combination of AMC driver and the magnetic slider would be nice).

The twist to ON flashlight could be also solution. At least 2xAA because 1xAA is very low energy…

I don’t have any specific recommendations, but went through this search some years ago. My Mom was living in a senior citizen apartment and wanted an easy to use flashlight. Through trial and error I found:

She didn’t have the finger strength / dexterity to use a tail mechanical clicky.
She’s not going to find a small black flashlight in the dark.
She’s not going to be able to grip a small diameter flashlight

I ended up getting her a floating “dorcy” flashlight powered by 3 AA batteries.

55 lumen was bright enough for her
“slip free” rubber grip was comfortable
No messing around trying to figure out where the switch is - hold it with the yellow part of the tube up and the switch is right there
No worrying about modes - click on, click off

It would have been nice to find something with a lit switch or flashing locator of some sort, but they weren’t around back then.

This is usable, but 55lm is really low. I need something more bright, because my grandma has problems with eyes. Sometimes she use the flashlight even in daylight (when she search something in lower light places).
I’m also thinking about this FL Sofirn SP30A because It has charging by micro USB, it has even indication of capacity (this thing I really miss on Eayle Eye X2R) so I would only mod it to 1 mode (about 1A)…

A ¼-turn of the tailcap is enough to lock it out. That’s what I do…

10mA is pretty standard for a Hall-effect sensor. I’ve played with them before years ago, lots of fun. :smiley:

Yep, ’swhy I mentioned it.

Nah, those drivers are pretty much custom. Plus, the HE sensors have their own custom mounts and connections.

Jaxman M2? 2×AA, think it’s only got low/high modes, nothing stoopit.

Still say that for what you just indicated above, a 2×AA MiniMag with the 1W drop-in would be best. Simple, stoopit, works. No weirdo modes, easy twist on/off, built like a truck.

If you want rechargeables, you wouldn’t need (in fact shouldn’t use) 14500s, but a pair of eneloops would be perfect. And they can both charge in a LK 202 charger. Or, just use AA alkaleaks.

Eneloops seem ideal AA sized cells

Lightbringer I hear you but I deem those sliding operated lights only good for very careful people (exactly like you said, manual lock out needed) and not for people just wanting a light they do not want to think about

A good light could be:
Convoy BD series
Orcatorch WR10 seems made for the elderly, solid, big button, easy UI, super easy charging, auto turn on in case of power out.
It was $200 when introduced now I saw it for ~$67

I don’t want Eneloop because they would have to use external charge, also they can forgot that these batteries are rechargeable etc… Only way is AA/AAA alkaline or charging directly inside the light…

For us it’s easy, but for these people it’s not acceptable as they will forgot to loosen it or on the other hand tighten it…

Maybe I will end again with Rominsen RC-P13 moded to 1 mode…

MiniMag. :smiley:

ah ok I repeat:
Orcatorch WR10 seems made for the elderly, solid, big button, easy UI, super easy charging, auto turn on in case of power out.
It was $200 when introduced now I saw it for ~$67

Orcatorch is very expensive. On BangGood 125$…

I saw it for $65 odepro or something, posted not long ago
EDT found it

and so I think X3 is probably willing to lower his price

I’m from Czech. Shipping from Amazon etc. costs about 30$ + at least 20% taxes…

Czech is EU, right ?
It should cost maybe 10€ to ship from France to Czech, I think I can lower my price for you…
Make me an offer, I have A brand new WR10 :slight_smile:

ive been giving the olds the Lunimtop ED25, the strobe is accessed with a twist of the head, so i put a drop of locktight on the anodized portion of the body just after the o-ring and really tightened it up, so all that is left is 3 mode 2xAA with mode memory, just leave it on high.

Thanks for the offer, but the control is not exactly what I want. I don’t like modes in order High to Low and also that you must always go through the all modes to turn off.
If button I would prefer this: Low-Mid-High(-Off) and Off with long press…

Lunimtop ED25 has control by the main button, which I don!t want, as I mentioned earlier…

Have you brought a lot of your lights for your grandparents to check out?
Maybe there is something they like

Cool thing about WR10, lift it off the base and it starts in low mode, put it back and it goes off, no need to even touch the button if low is enough :wink:

Maybe a single med mode light is best for I see so many “normal people’ struggle with modes :slight_smile:

I think there is a market for a (cheap) high quality light (preferably with high CRI) that keeps it really simple, just on/off. No modes at all (as in BLF-348) or, as in Nitecore EA41, a separate button for modes.

My grandpa has Romisen RC-P13 with classic low-mid-high AMC driver. He is able to use it, but I see, that it’s not ideal for him (he almost forgot how to switch modes and for his hands the switching with main back button is not the best). My grandma didn’t like exactly this control.
For my grandma I want something simpler. Ideally I would like FL with ring control, where you choose intensity and it remember it. Then you have one main button to ON-OFF…
But it looks that I will end probably simply with one mode ON-OFF, because what looks for us easy is sometimes for old people very hard to use (in theory more things, which they have to remember about it, is worse…)

By experience with my dad, 85 years old and Parkinson, after tried many flashlihgts (tail button, dual side button, magnetic ring, twist head)

Side switch and simplicity is essential, only soft on/off (electronic) and no mode is the best

He uses a Sunwayman C15A with Eneloop white for over 3 years, in mid mode, I do not remember having recharged the battery

Funny you should mention that. I bought a DV-9 thinking it might be a good, simple light for my mother-in-law.

But since it’s a dive light, that tailcap requires way more strength and dexterity than I would be comfortable handing over to her. I haven’t removed any of the O-rings yet, so don’t know if that will make it any easier, but I suspect it will. The problem is, if it does loosen it up enough, I’ll have less of an excuse to keep it for myself.