2*AA side-by-side aluminum flashlight - DCF01 by Sofirn (Formerly: Resurrection of Duracell Durabeam)

I have a feeling that my flashlight UI designs aren’t very well aligned with the popular opinion, but Artur asked me to weigh in so here’s my input. This interface setup is what MELD uses in lights with dual switches:

The only difference between the two switches should be that one is for UP and one is for DOWN. Any user input that could have directionality will follow the UP/DOWN designation of the switch that is being used. For any other user input, both buttons should function exactly the same.

For example, here’s a simple ramping UI with dual switches that follows this philosophy:
Click either button to turn on. Click either button to turn off. Press and hold either button from off for momentary usage. While on, hold down either button to ramp; UP button goes up, DOWN button goes down. Double click UP switch shortcuts to max; double click DOWN switch shortcuts to min.
This can be extended to further functions with extended commands (triple click, click-click-press, press both simultaneously, etc.). In any case, a command that doesn’t have any up/down association (on/off, battery check, options menu, etc.) doesn’t matter which switch is used, they both act the same. Any command that does have an up/down association (ramping, shortcuts to high or low, advance through menu options, etc.) will choose the direction based on which button is pressed.

:crown: :+1:

Interesting light but from my point of view:

- UI is too complicated

- I fear that too much features might compromise the reliability

- it will not be a budget light

- it might end up bulky

  • we might not see this light before a long time

Just my 2 cents. I know I will still buy it if it’s not too expensive.

That would rock my ’fro, yes.

Hi mate! Sorry, didn’t have the chance to answer your PM yet :frowning:

However, I guess I will forget my options and look at this suggestion :

This seems to me as a very good solution!

Please note that my opinion doesn’t disregard the your options posted before. However, it seems to me that for a dual light switch it may be reasonable to consider!

When I have the right time, I will answer your PM :wink: Sorry for the delay!!

I like the vast difference between the various UIs being proposed. However, I can't really find myself getting behind UIs that make extensive use of press-and-hold as an action, or that rely heavily on "click X times" as a meaningful interaction.

I think the UI mentioned and compared to MELD was pretty interesting. One of the first UIs I thought up, when addressing this light, had about half of the base concept the same: Both buttons do the same thing. In my case, I was building around each button controlling a separate emitter, which was pretty neat and led to intuitive interactions once you understood the basics.

As far as the UI most recently proposed by Rost in post 89, I don't think it would be something most people can just pick up and use. Sure, it would probably be easy enough for someone who read the instructions, but that's not the same thing as intuitive.

It needs to pass the Enderman’s Gramma test.

I found this light: Epsealon Red Bullet. We could use such a slide switch in our 2*AA light.

This slide switch is too bulky: Seac Sub R3, but in our light it could be more flat.

How about a spring-loaded switch? Second after slide switch most intuitive solution IMO.

Something like this one: Seac Q5

or one of these: Mares-EOS-4RZ & Mares-EOS-5RZ

Or easiest of all, a magnetic slider with nigh infinite brightness levels

I don’t see any reason not to use buttons. I understand that you want to make this light stand out from the crowd, but going against too many conventions at once is a great way to add complexity,create issues, and alienate any potential buyers.

Hey, buttons are great, and can be made perfectly waterproof (see the Sofirn/Wurkkos SD05 diving light).

Problem is, ask 20 people here for opinions as to the greatest’n’bestest UI to use for ’em, and you’ll get 38 different answers.

So then you get some frankenUI grab-bag of options from the mfr that everyone hates.

Make it with contact pads for Pogo-Whatsis flash connections and sell a modders’ kit for UI changes.

Would it be possible? How much would it cost?
Maybe Sofirn could stand out from the crowd by allowing users to customize the UI in most of their lights?
Those are questions to Sofirn.

Ideally I see a PC program and USB-pogo cable set.
User is turning on the program, connects the flashlight and is able to choose the number of lumens on each brightness level and number of levels.

I’m lacking needed skills but maybe there is a good soul on this forum that could help create such a program and Sofirn could deliver the rest?

Or add a bluetooth IC and make IOS and Android downloadable app to config the light. You make more than 10 clicks to activate bluetooth. You set mode order and levels and save.
Also you can assign long, short, double, triple, quad clicks to functions.
Then you can use the light.

…if the apocalypse zombies did not get you before all that :cowboy_hat_face:

No worries Jos :wink:

It would be great but it depends on Sofirn ability to implement this while keeping low price.

I was thinking about something like Nextorch:

TorchLAB BOSS solution would be probably too costly:

Hm? How’s a BT signal supposed to get in/out of a Faraday-cage of an all-aluminum flashlight?

Same way the iPad does: Go out through the bezel around the screen!

What's that you say? You don't have a flashlight with a retina screen? What about a $999 flashlight stand?

I'm sorry I'll go stand in my corner

Mmmmmm, no.

Figure the tube is all Al. The reflector is likely Al as well, only thing left is the tailcap if any, and dunno how small a BT antenna can be made, and it’d play Hell with reliability anyway as well as need a coaxial tube like the FW3A to pass the signal along.

Like an USB cover it can have a BT antenna molded in a plastic piece what glued in the side of the head or under the button.

I also like Lupine headlamps setup application.