It’s really a shame that all the hall-effect switches are on dive lights. Those rings and switches are perfect for grandma. But they don’t have built-in charging, and unscrewing the cap to charge the battery is a real biotch because of all the o-rings for water sealing.
But a Sofirn IF25A might work for her. The e-switch button is really light. Set the floor and ceiling so close together that she’ll never notice the ramping if she accidentally holds the switch down, and it’s a click-on click-off one mode UI. Or just leave it locked and in tactical moonlight mode. The head is small enough that it seems unlikely to break. I’ve dropped mine numerous times. In my experience, the bigger the glass (think C8 or old MagLite), the more likely they are to break. Nice tail-stand for nightstand duty, also.
Go to AliExpress, search Manta Ray S1.
Single mode AA flashlight, tailswitch, in a host similar to the Convoy T2. Can be operated with 1xAA or 1x14500 Li-Ion cell.
Thanks for the tip, it looks very promising!
TBH, I was leaning towards Sofirn anyways (I was looking at the SC21 when you wrote) as I own an LT1 which also has a rather light button, so I was secretly hoping every Sofirn light had that quality.
I checked the specs on the IF25A , and it actually looks more suitable than the SC21: due to its larger form-factor, it would definitely be easier for her to handle. And still it is not lagre enough to break with a high likelihood when dropped. You are also totally right about the UI: Anduril is advanced enough to be able to believably mimic a dumb on-off switch, when configured that way
The only downside I could find is the price: $30-40 + our lovely 27% VAT on top of that.
I gave my 70+ year old mom a ThruNite Neutron 2c v3 for Christmas and it seems like it will work out well. I picked up a couple on sale a while back. Switch is easy to press but maybe hard to find. I set the ramp about half way and hopefully it will stay there unless she holds down the switch.
Maybe the WildTrail WT3M (triple) or WT1M (single). 21700 cell so it has a larger diameter which is more comfortable to grasp while pressing a button for hands that may be weaker or arthritic, and the side switch on this one is very easy to press and in a natural position. It’s compact but still has a traditional look to it, which she’s probably used to. Runs anduril so you can muggle it for her and set the ceiling lower if you like, and she can enjoy the ease of the ramping or stepped light settings. Switch backlight can be off or set at different levels. It has USB-C charging, so no fumbling or damaging the cable or port trying to find the right side of a micro-usb. The only quibble might be that the rubber port cover is a tight fit and not the easiest to pop open, but it’s easily removed or she could use a fork tine or whatever to pop it out. I don’t think a protected cell will fit in there but with a 21700 and low level use it should last way longer than a couple weeks even with the switch light set to high. The wider head will make it easier for her to set it on a countertop or whatever without tipping over so easily, but this one will roll easily if laid on its side.
Another idea is the Wurkkos FC11, single emitter 18650. It uses the simple UI like many Sofirn lights where you can choose ramping or stepped, but it’s not so feature-laden or potentially confusing like anduril. They have a smaller diameter of course, a bit more length, and an easy to press side switch. Also USB-C and the cover is easy to pop open but stays put in use.
I’d probably vote for the WildTrail unless her hands prefer longer/thinner of the 18650 tube lights. Since she grew up with dim halogen lights, maybe ask her if she likes that warmer color temp more than neutral white or ugly-cold-blue white of the cheapie flashlights and pick the emitter accordingly.
It sure looks that way. My only concern would be the usb port access. That’s perfect for me, but if the threads are tight to get to the charging port due to water-proofing O-rings, that could be hard for old hands. I may have to order one of those when it becomes available.
ETA: probably not a replaceable battery. I guess grandma won’t care, but kinda eww, anyway.
What I am wondering about right now is: If I choose an Anduril-powered light (like the IF25A or WT3M), how is she going to be able to tell when to charge it (without letting the LVP fully shut it off)?
Having it blink out the battery voltage is obviously not an option
At the very low brightness levels she is likely going to use it, do you think the LVP step-downs will be noticeable enough to be used as low-battery indication? Is it possible there are no intermediate steps in that case, and the LVP just shuts the light down completely as soon as it kicks in? (Sorry if it is a stupid question. I have not really studied how LVP is implemented on Anduril, yet.)
Even my old old old Convoys with the dreaded 3/5 drivers would start blinking when running low.
My plumber’s light had a slow-blink every few seconds, which I assume was that the light’s about drained.
And what I suggested elsewhere about a blink every 5-10sec when running low, to every 2sec or so when about to crap out, would be best. Can’t possibly miss that.
And my Tacklife that I use around the house, when you’re using the light, you don’t really notice that the ‘T’ in the tailcap went from green to red unless it’s by pure chance that you’re looking at it while using the light. So if I can miss it, granma is gonna end up in the dark when she needs the light most.
Sofirn CO1 is a great ~7 lumen 1 mode AAA light with very nice 3400K hi-cri led. Inexpensive & durable (black & green models are potted for extra durability).
Twist on/off.
Very long runtime for AAA battery. Great little lights!
I guess that’s one drawback here. I don’t know about the IF25A but the WT3M doesn’t have any indication other than stepping down. Probably will not see stepdowns until the very end and/or if she’s using it for longer periods at that point. The switch light is configurable for brightness/off, but it doesn’t do anything else except turn red when connected to a charging cable (green when charged). I’ve not tested it but 2.8v is supposed to be the cutoff…not ideal but with low current and occasional use I don’t think draining that low will affect battery cycle life. Even if it did a decent 21700 cell used like this is going to last her several-to-many years.
This is why there’s a burgeoning market for things like those sticky rubber sleeves to stretch over doorknobs, or replacement lever-type door-handles vs shiny slippery round knobs.
Everybody… put yourself in the place of poor ol’ granny, with failing eyesight, arthritic hands, limited mobility and strength, etc.
That’s why even tailswitch lights might be a Bad Idea, despite a mechanical cut-off being superior as far as zero battery-drain when off, or even a “lightweight” AA-based light might be too skinny to hold comfortably, and so on.
