"Grandma" flashlight

Unno. Pretty much unchanged, so I’d only be repeating myself.

Bigger is better, for grip. I can’t imagine arthritic hands grabbing even a 2×AA light and futzing with a stiff tailswitch.

What I suggested in the other thread, ie, the Acebeam EC50, pretty much ticks all the boxes:

— 26650 for capacity, and wider diameter for better grip.

— soft-touch sideswitch with simple click-on/click-off operation

— higher contrasting switch, silver button against the black body

— can be set to its lowest setting and left to, again, just click on/off

— no stoopit blinkies or any other retardery, just on/off, and hold to scroll through the brightness levels

— easy usb charging

so that’s pretty much what gramma needs.

Thought.

A big Rubber ring similar to Keep Cups for grip and reduces the chance of rolling off her bed side table

10CRI 9000K :laughing:

/sarcasm

is Magnetic ring switch much easier for Grandma, bigger size and a Larger size is easier to find ?

For control it might be easier, if the ring wouldn’t just be big, but “grippy” (oversized knurling, etc.).

Concern is parasitic drain, though. If a light gets tossed into a drawer for a year or more, it might run down the cell to 0 when granma needs it most. Hall-effect sensors can eat a lot more current than a sleeping µC uses just to sniff a button every so often.

Best would be a soft-touch mechanical switch that physically breaks the circuit when off. Even if a mechanical switch is harder to press than a momentary e-switch, a big button could let granma press it with both thumbs.

But that requires a commitment from start to finish to be a granma light, not one that’s later made to “look cool” by going with a nicer-looking but smaller button. (or adding 20 modes, or… :laughing: )

My next question to you and anyone else who has tested or has testing equipment, can you create a light that could go two years before it drains a charged 3000mAh 18650?

What is the power drain rate for the FC11?

Keep in mind that most people are perfectly fine with a 2D junk drawer light with the whack -a-palm option.
On board charging must have a protected cell and good circuitry as it may never be unplugged until use.
Most people can appreciate a “battery saver” mode. Maybe two clicks from off? Not hard to do, or remember.
We know that flood is more useful in a gp light, but the muggle still looks to how far can the light reach…
It should fit into a large purse, and be big enough to find on the closet shelf.

well, we got our Great-Grandmother a 3-pack of 2-D LED’s with batteries for $7.

here is how it works:

a visit with GG will cost you a 3-pack to replace the old ones.
the old ones are given to the Great-Grand-Children to play with during the adult talk.
essentially, GG gets a new set ~3 months. and, yes, sometimes it is hard to find
some of the old ones, but the GGC enjoy the “scavenger-hunt”.

Yes, it is available that two year standby of one 18650
FC11 max 11W

What is the current draw when turned off?

Quite true.

This is basically the flashlight my grandmother used, with the exception of the button (which was metal), and LED insert with the green ring. From what I can recall, it had a small, intense hot spot and little spill, so the beam was not only dim, but poor quality.

Aside from basic safety features to account for a modern Li cell, the more I think about it, a single-mode version of an existing light, with conservative parameters is probably all that a “grandma” will need or ark for. If you want anything fancy, give it a TIR, OP, or frosted optic, to make the beam more versatile, and won’t blind her if she catches sight of it directly.

Also note the price that light is being sold for, or plastic lights like this.

I have to be honest I think a flashaholics idea of an ideal light may not be an ideal light to someone who cares nothing about modes, interfaces, grip, knurling and multiple buttons. As such another vote for 1 mode basic light.

Example:My mother is in her 70’s but quite sprightly and uses a light to walk out the back to check on the animals etc. She has absolutely no interest in the vagaries of flashaholicism. I gave her what I thought was the most basic light I had being a Fenix HL23 headlamp with 3 power settings and the problem was it comes on high, and she forgets or doesnt care to turn it down. As such the battery runs down more quickly, and I find the light in the bottom of a draw one day because she got tired of continually changing batteries and/or turning the light levels down. She went back to using some cheap plastic light.

We went through what grandma (grandpa?) needs in the grandma light development thread (link) that started 2 years ago, part of the discussion is repeated here. In practice, any light that works is good enough for most old people and flashlights like that are around already. If it is unreliable, put three of those in the drawer, one will likely work.

My approach was instead not to focus exclusively on what works for eldery people, but also make it desirable for us flashlight enthousiasts (and there are eldery flashlight nuts too, as BLF proves). That is why the magnetic ring came in (every flashoholic loves that), why compactness is required (no flashoholic likes a needless bulky light), why good tint and CRI was chosen, and it must look good too!

For me, a light like that, robust, always works, does not drain when not in use, with easy to use magnetic ring, with USB-C charging, with good tint, and not overly expensive, is as desirable as any cool new cutting edge performer with latest technology. And it works for grandma too.

of all the qualities of a flashlight I would probably say tint above all else is something that means absolutely nothing to the average grandma, muggle or even security guard or cop. I think I could give my friends and even my brother who is a cop three different tinted light and ask them afterwards what their favorite tint or colour was and all would go “huh?”

Just chiming in, I think a super basic but well-made, inexpensive light like this would be a fantastic option to have, not just for grandma. I would love to see Wurkkos pursue this.

This multi-stage slide switch would be the ideal system I think, easy to use even one-handed, and very obvious which mode the light is set to.

Something like 50/500 lumens would be great. For a single output level, I would think around 200 lumens could accomplish just about everything.


Most importantly, the light should be available in multiple bright, fun colors. A very simple design, like this Rayovac, but aluminum:

26650 would be the ideal battery, thick and high-capacity. 26800 would be amazing form-factor wise but it’s too obscure. It would be especially awesome if it could run off either one li-ion or multiple NiMH/Alkaline cells, just because so many people are averse to good batteries.

A quality driver running an inexpensive and efficient LED, something with a good balanced beam in a larger optic… maybe XHP50? Long runtimes and low heat with consistent output should be the goal. A large triple might work well too, I can’t speak for all but I feel like grandma would appreciate a beam with good coloration, I know mine does :laughing: Around 5000K would be great, it’s nice and “normal” so it wouldn’t put anyone off but would still be pleasant

Exactly. As much as I was trying to get her into using a “real” light, she kept going back to those craptastic 3×AAA lights, because they were simple on/off, and had just enough brightness to light up what she wanted to. No crazy modes, nothing.

Again:

People don’t want ¼-inch drills, they want ¼-inch holes.

Anyone designing new drills often forgets that.

Definitely interested in a grandma light.

One Mode. A Medium-ish 300 Lumens is plenty.
Can take primaries. As much as we hate alkaleaks.
Inexpensive. But a 1hour shutoff timer would be great if possible

For the interface I would say click for high/off, hold for ramp up/down. This seems more intuitive than cycling through even 2 modes and gives more flexibility as well.
Maybe have something like 10c to toggle memory mode on/off. Would have to be something not done accidentally to have it at all.

Single 2170 with usb-c seems good. I like the idea of charging only to 80% if it’s sitting around a lot.

Maybe offer it in lh351 and sst-20 2700k, 4000k, 6500k. I think color temp is actually something a lot of people notice. Some prefer the warm color and some associate coolness with bright/high tech. But not sure if offering this many options would lead to analysis paralysis and people buying for themselves would just move on to another light, or if they would just get whatever the default on amazon was and be fine with it.

Nothing with modes seems simpler than a rotary switch. It is very easy to turn, even with old hands.
Everyone knows how a volume knob works. Turn it clockwise for more output.

The Sofirn SD05 “diving” light only draws ~70uA when off. It has a 4AH 21700 battery. 4AH/70uA = 2381 days
The self drain on the battery is probably higher than that.

I checked a couple other magnetic ring dive lights marked Volador (Willcrew DX30 and DX60, thought to be manufactured by Sofirn). They also measured 70 to 80uA standby drain.

Point is, magnetic ring lights can be made with low drain. Now they need a USB port for charging. (no longer dive lights…).
The examples given are brighter than necessary. A lower output version of the SD05 with a charging port seems about perfect to me.

Since this doesn’t exist, for gift lights, I like dual switch lights with built in charging. Tail switch is on/off (most people get that), and side switch selects brightness mode. Flashlight works even if you forget it has a side switch! Problem is the charging. The tail switch is mechanical so the light must be turned “on” to charge. Not as easy or intuitive as a rotary switch, but these are available with charging.

FB

Get grandma a Porsche 911 and then when she says " You know I cain"t drive a stick .much less see the road .! "

Shrug and say "Oh man I forgot that .. can't return it so it looks like I'm stuck with it ."

"What do you think about paddle shifters granny ?"