1 mode simple flashlight

I’m looking for a simple flashlight for my mother.

  • The most important thing is that is has only one mode. I don’t care it has a 1000 as long as I can configure them away.
  • Preferably a flooder. Indoor use only
  • Anything above 300 lumen is great.
  • Cell: 18650, 20700, 21700. AA
  • Runtime has to be good. Likely that means AA may not be good enough; unless 2xAA
  • Easy button. My mom is 85 an the strength in her hands is not so good.

Just something cheap and simple.
Beam pattern, hotspot, tint, none of those things matter.
It’s a find the fusebox without falling type of light.

A Convoy S2+ with biscotti driver can be set for 1 mode only.

If you order one with 3 x 7135 it will be 1050mA.

My preference for indoor (floody) is XML (2) and OP reflector, preferably in the 4000-5000 color temp range (3-5 cree tint).

Mini Maglite 2-AA LED 272 lumen.
Nothing easier than turning the head.
Small, great runtime, inexpensive,
will be all the flood you want, or throw.
Mother at 101 yrs old, has one.

Cheers.

I ordered a “custom” S2+ with only 1 mode. Not sure if it’s Biscotti or a true 1 mode firmware. Hmm, I should check… Anyway, you can customize the number of 7135 chips to get the brightness you want.

The S2 is a nice light. Most I find are 3/5 mode versions. Usually 7135x6 or 7135x8

Mini Maglite 2-AA LED I found are a bit expensive for their output.

Before you go any further.
80+ Yr old. a little feeble in grip.
I’mm 80 in 2 yrs next month. Fairly fit and strong.
It’s not so much the “grip” but the sensitivity in your feeling that causes the problem.
I have 2 x S2 torches. and don’t use them.
Relax just a little and the bloody things slide out of your grip.
They just a tube. Even after I put 2 x Thick O-Rings in the grooves
in the outer knurlings for extra grip.
You young ones haven’t got the mind set of the physical retrictions
of oldie’s yet.
Unfortunately. I’m getting there.
A “Small” light is similar too. Also she NEEDS a AA type.
NO messing with special battery’s.
ANY special. Rechargable item WILL need permanent checking and charging by YOU…
She WILL forget. We ALL do…

One with plenty of Knurling or STEPS in it’s profile.
Easier to grip.
She doesn’t NEED 350 lum. 100 to 180 will be fine.
Something the size of a Jetbeam Jet 1 or one up. TWISTY.
BUT not a smooth/straight sided tube please.
Change the O ring for a narrower one to make it easier if twisty a bit stiff.
Those Push buttons on some are a real prick believe me.

Have fun.

Get the more recent version of S2+ directly from Simon @ Convoy (through his official Aliexpress store), which has the biscotti firmware, allowing you to program it to just have a single mode.

It’s available with different tints as well as different number of 7135 chips (3, 4, 6, 8).

The 7135x4 configuration should give you around 450 lm output and draw 1.4A, which means a 3500 mAh cell will run for roughly 2.5 hours on max. In reality, it’ll probably run longer due to voltage sag.

For walking around the house, even the 7135x3 version should be plenty bright.

With that said, I don’t think I’d give my parent anything that runs on 18650 li-ion cell. I’d give them something that they can replace batteries in easily if they need to, so that would be something that runs on AA cells most likely, like this:

@Macka17

An insider! :slight_smile:

Currently she has a 3xAAA which I put a 18650 in.
The light is starting to give issues.
She doesn’t replace any battery, regardless of the type.
The tailcap takes way to much force to unscrew.

The reason one of the demands is long runtime is exactly for that reason.
It has to last until my next visit. The light is on for a few minutes a time.
The type of battery is not a big issue because whatever it may be, I’ll make sure she won’t run out.
She has plenty of visitors who are able to swap batteries if needed.

You could be right about the 100-180 lumen vs 350 lumen.
http://www.lumintop.com/toolaa.html
I have that one and use Ni-MH and it’s 140 lumen isn’t bad at all for indoor use.
Runtime may be a little on the low side. The main reason I’m not considering that light is because it use half-press to cycle trough mode. And a quick twist mode change. That may prove a challange due to her artroses.

If you do go the rechargable way.
Get a torch that is rechargable. With a SMALLer/LIGHTer
than 18650 Cell in it.
Mount the charger beside bed. in lounge. In Kitchen on bench.
and make sure she gets in habit of plugging it in every morning.
and keeps it on a cord round her neck at night till she goes to bed.
Twisty over a push button is preferred by the old arthritic mates I have.
and MID sized torch over S2 or Astrolux AO1 sized.

The old school torch is fine. Twisty and 2 cells (IN LED).
Just wrap some doctors paper tape, or Band aids round the grip part for no slippage and to give a larger dia.

If you were near here I’d give you a couple to try, but I can’t throw ’em that far.

There is a lot of single mode p60 drop ins. There’s the long tube solarforce tube for 3 18650s. Should last long enough.

@Pete7874

2.5 hours is nice. She usually uses the light for a few minutes. So the cell can recover a bit.
Even better runtime.

I’ll give my mom a few spare 18650’s so running out of power never will be an issue.
Don’t get me wrong, I do see the advantage of AA (got a truckload Eneloops) but I’m trying to find the best balance between things. I just happen to think the extented runtime of the 18650 fits her needs quite ok.

@Macka17

ONLY about size (and weight)

Which cell size holds best? AA, 18650, 21700, etc?
My mom can still write so she can close her fingers quite well; I’m asking because you warned about slipping.

That ALL depends on output of whatever light it’s in.
Of those 3 the 2100 series by a little bit.
Get a stepped. Well Knurled torch. Or Taped body for grip.
the skin sensitivity comes into it at our age and it’s easy to let them slip. (I know)
There’s a zillion on market at present.
Any Convoy .Astrolux, JetBeam. O-Light, etc will give the quality you need without paying a lot.

https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/ON-THE-ROAD-M900-Mini-flashlight-rechargeable-compact-CREE-LED-flashlight-for-camping-Professional-waterproof-torch/3081046_32847475895.html?spm=a2g1y.12024536.productList_3357410.pic_1

This light (OTR M900) seems to be configurable into 3 options, one of each is a single mode (100). However, it will probably produce more light and more heat than a Convoy with 4*7135 chips w/ biscotti configured on mode 12 (1 mode - 100).

The small OTR M3 (2018 version), side switch, 16340 battery, USB-C built-in charging, can also be configured for just 1 mode operation (+ Turbo, Strobe, SOS with double clicks).

My 2 cents? Convoy S2, 7135x3, whatever tint irritates her eyes the least. Set it to Biscotti mode group 12, and presto. I’ve had an S2 in that config (modded it to 7135x8 Biscotti later, more versatile for my uses) and one of few things I liked about it was how even at full blast it didn’t heat up much at all for a tube light; the beam profile is also nice, but the ring around the switch would make it hard for weak hands to operate it, methinks. In that regard, the S2’s cutouts make pressing it way easier.

My mom (79 yo) and my M-I-L (89 yo) both have a Convoy BD06. My mom charges hers all by herself, but somebody takes care of charging my MIL’s for her. They both find the switch easy to use, and the size and texture appealing. But they’re both 3-mode with mode memory. I don’t even think they know that, though. They just click it off and on. Maybe Simon could ship it with one mode, since there are options available from his store.

And it looks like he doesn’t sell the BD06 any more, but a BD01 would work just as well.

I got it.

LuxPro LP601V3.

https://www.amazon.com/Lumen-Tactical-Handheld-Outdoor-Flashlight/dp/B07KCYQ2MY/

Takes 4×AAA in a holder but perfectly fits a 21700 (or 18650 even without a sleeve).

It’s got a rubber sleeve on the battery tube for a good grip.

It’s got an easy-actuating tailswitch which might as well be an e-switch it’s so easy to click.

It’s multimode, but has no memory, so will always start on high (~450lm) after a few seconds.

Click on, click off, no click’n’hold or half-clicks or anything.

Nasty XP-G3 piss-yellow corona, but a swatch of DC-Fix (bug Boaz for some) will clean it up and make it beautifully floody. Think it’s the #7 film I used on all my LuxPros for exactly that reason (to cure the G3 curse).

15bux, well worth it. Mum will write you back into the will if you get her this light.

Oh, if you go the DC-Fix route (which I strongly suggest you do, if only out of æsthetics), either use one with adhesive to stick on the outside, or if you get a nonsticky one, you’ll have to pop out the reflector and stick the film between reflector and glass. Makes it look nicer to do the latter, but in a pinch, the former will work, too.

So no issues from a voltage perspective when replacing 4 AAA cells with a single Li-Ion cell?

you can always mod any light to simply one mode by removing and bypassing MCU

but to have a voltage monitor and LVP it is recopmmended to programm the firmware to one mode

you can also show her 3 Mode and let her decide which she finds better, often old people do not want too simple things to feel up to date