(1). If you could buy the smallest flashlight in the world, what would you use it for?
Answer: I would use it to:
- When I’m working inside or behind a computer or other electronics equipment, I’d use it to light up what I’m working on.
- Find the light switch in a dark room. Light up a dark hallway.
- Light up the trunk of my car or any other small space when I’m looking for something.
- If it has a keyring, and it’s small and lightweight, and it’s omnidirectional like a keychain light, attach it to my nephews’ clothes when we’re out on Halloween so we can see them when they run up the street.
- If someone is looking for me and it’s dark, I could use it in a signaling strobe mode to show where I am.
(2). If you have a very small light that you consider it as being in the smallest flashlight category, what are the advantages and disadvantages that you see with the light? What special features stand out that make it special to you? if you have a small light, please share it here
Advantages:
- Size and weight are the main advantage. It’s small, it’s lightweight, so it can fit on a keychain. It doesn’t take up much pocket space. It can be fit onto a necklace.
- Price: Tiny flashlights usually aren’t very expensive. You can get a bunch of them for gifts and/or backups in case you lose one.
Disadvantages:
- Battery life: A tiny flashlight means a tiny battery, so battery life will be short.
- Heat: A tiny flashlight means there’s not a lot of heat dissipation.
- Brightness: Since a tiny flashlight has short battery life and bad heat dissipation, it can’t be very bright.
- Throw: Since the flashlight cannot be very bright, and you can’t have a big reflector, it won’t throw very far. The tiny flashlight is best used for close range or indoor tasks.
Other design issues:
- Durability? A tiny flashlight weighs less than a larger flashlight, but will it survive a drop? I have no idea.
- Battery recharge: How do you recharge the battery? If the battery is a CR2032 coin battery, will the flashlight support the rechargeable LIR2032? If the battery is a tube shaped battery, which chargers can recharge a very short tube shaped battery?
- Battery replaceability: If the battery is dead, is the battery easy to find and buy?
- Low battery warning: If the flashlight uses lithium ion coin shaped or tube shaped batteries, will the flashlight warn me if the battery voltage is low?
Features that make a tiny flashlight special to me:
- Neutral white, and high CRI if possible. If I’m working inside of my computer, and I want to see the color of the cables and other parts clearly.
- One handed operation: I might be holding something with my other hand. I need to be able to operate my tiny flashlight with one hand.
- Flood beam: Since the tiny flashlight can’t be very bright and can’t throw very far, it will mostly be used for close range or indoor tasks. The tiny flashlight must have a good flood beam. Keychain lights, like the Nitecore Tube or a Photon, are already omnidirectional - they shine light in every direction. For a tube shaped tiny flashlight with a tiny reflector, the beam must be more flood and less throw.
(3). What is the price range that you would want to spend, for a tiny light, with the features you would like?
Answer: $15-$20, if it has all of the features I want.
(4). What specific functions do you want, to fit into the price range you are looking at?
Answer:
- Neutral white, high CRI.
- One handed operation.
- Flood beam.
- Protection from accidentally turning on in the pocket.
- Multiple modes, or variable brightness, so I can pick the brightness level I need and conserve battery life.
- Momentary on, because sometimes I just need a burst of light for a few seconds. Momentary on also allows me to manually do a signal strobe.
- Nothing sharp. Don’t rip a hole in my pants pocket.
- Bonus: Adjustable focus? I can use the wide beam for close range tasks or inside a room, and a narrower longer beam for walking down a dark hallway.
