What's your favorite UI design on flashlights?

As the E-switches can work without interrupting the light being on, it allows for fancier UI than physical switches. It seems many people prefer the good e-switch UI. For example, Click on; Click off; Hold the switch to change modes, normally cycle from lowest to highest, then back round again to low; Shortcut to turbo with double click; Shortcut to moonlight with holding the switch from off; 3 or 4 clicks to lock/unlock the light… And there are also other users telling they like tail switches for turning on/off with modes controlled by either rotary ring or separate switch. A good UI is easy to use. How about your preference, what the user interface and controls do you like? We appreciate your kind comments and suggestions on this!

Anduril 2 would be great.

I would like the ability to set custom modes.

On/off and mode change with magnetic ring.

Something like Anduril 1 or 2.

For lamps and lights that you have time to set up I like lots of different options but for the torch I carry for work I want max output first every time I turn it on no modes or modes to get in the way.

Kind of echoing @Vimespolly, it’s subjective and mission dependant for me. Multi-switch lights are a hard pass in my consideration.

Tactical = tail switch (mechanical forward) and one mode (high).

Work = mechanical forward clicky tail switch and 3-4 modes.

General EDC = e-switch (position relevant depending on form factor) and I’m really partial to Anduril 1 firmware.

Exactly this. To expand on that…

  • Moonlight and turbo shouldn’t be in mode memory
  • Double click from turbo back to normal modes (eg high)
  • Hold from moonlight to get to low
  • Moonlight should be 1 lumen at most for most lights

I prefer Andruil or Zebralight’s UI.
You can quickly get to any mode without too many clicks IMO. Admittedly, it’s a little strange at first, but I quickly took to it.

For a work light I prefer a mechanical forward clicky tail switch with a few modes. Or a mechanical forward clicky tail switch for on/off only and an electronic side switch for modes selection with memory. 3-5 brightness levels, double tap turbo, triple tap strobe.
For a toy light electronic switch with Anduril and an anodized tail threads for lock out.

Well, I like Anduril…once it is configured.

I wish there was a desktop application for configuring Anduril rather than having to mess around clicking that one button through various “menus”.

Here is how I would like it to work:
1. there would be visual elements like a double-slider for configuring max and min ramp.
2. There could be text fields to define the lumen levels of steps in stepped mode.
3. You could also disable group/modes you will never use via a checkbox system so you never have to cycle through them.
4. Modes could have a drag-and-drop interface letting you change the order that modes appear in a group.
5. After making these changes, you flash the application-generated config file directly to the flashlight.

Obviously this would be for enthusiasts only but I think it would be fantastic.

I still like Narsim, like on my Q8s and GTmicros.

Simple ramping without going crazy.

My favourite UI is Anduril 2.

If Anduril isn’t an option I like an Olight Baton style UI, but replacing the strobe with a battery check and changing the lockout to 4 clicks would be an improvement.

I would be happy with the UI xtarflashlight described, but the addition of a battery check with 3 clicks from off (leaving 4 clicks for lockout) would make it even better.

There isn’t one perfect UI, it depends on the purpose of the light:
My favourite for general use - Convoy’s Biscotti/12-Group - easy to use, programmable, mode memory can be on/off, mode memory includes strobe, but shame about the alternating frequency strobe (should be constant frequency).
My favourite for light painting photography - Ryu’s Lightworks UI on Light Painting Paradise LightPainter.
My favourite for headlamps - UI on Nitecore HC65 - direct access to pretty much any useful mode with one button.

:+1:

anduril is pretty good

anduril 2 is probably better

both of them have a lot of config options, which are good to have but may be too much for the noob, or someone who prefers simplicity to changeability

I like Anduril/Narsil and also magnetic ring like the ThruNite TN-31 or the AceBeam K70, K60

Acebeam L19 has superb Tactical UI.

Nope. I prefer a mechanical switch. I like the Convoy lights with Biscotti. I mostly use 1, 10, 35, 100 with mode memory turned off.

My only complaint is that the 12 groups don’t offer every arrangement I might want for a given light. I’d love to be able to plug in a USB or something and use an extremely simple, user-friendly, idiot-proof program to tell it that I want X% on mode 1, Y% on mode 2, etc.

Even better is the ring control on one of my Sofirn lights. It has low, medium, and high. I just turn to what I want. It’s the closest thing to an old-school hardware control with no guess work and easy access for even the dimmest bulbs among us. :stuck_out_tongue:

I’m can live with most UI’s as long as they’re well thought out, I like Anduril but also still enjoy the older Bistro lights like the A6 BLF SE and the X5 BLF, but sometimes a simple 3 to 5 mode layout is more than enough. I have no lights with a magnetic ring myself but would like it a lot, seem like a great idea.

What I think important myself:

- I like memory to be on/off by choice.

- no stupid click-combinations or to much different use of clicks for simple operation, think K.I.S.S. and just don’t overdo

- If it has moonlight it should be direct accessible from off or it is worthless.

- When using electronic switches the light needs a mechanic lock-out (twist of the tailcap or head)

  • Much more important than all the above, give me NW, WW and hi-CRI options, I won’t buy angry-blue no matter how smart the UI is

I don’t think Anduril is the answer. I think in 10 years, Anduril will only be mentioned in the BLF archives.

My prediction is that touch OLED screens will end up on the larger lights, and virtually all lights will be programable via computer whether wirelessly or with a USB cable. They will have a simple web UI. At that point, you will be able to have 1000’s of settings because it will be easy to manage.

The stage is all set at his point. The technology is there, once prices drop a bit more, some Chinese manufacturer will jump on it.