Hi everyone, first post and very new to the world of flashlights, sorry for my n00b-ness.
I have a challenging conundrum…
I’m in search of a flashlight with a wide-ish beam (or zoomable) that has the capability to turn on strobe mode with one click, and then to have a normal mode turn on with a double-click.
This is not for tactical purposes. I need this for a live theatre show, where the default on/off click will turn on/off strobe mode, and then i would need another way to easily turn on normal mode (high or low beam) with a double-click, for example.
I’ve done lots of research on anduril, but it seems the only way to enable strobe is to set it on “memory mode”. The issue with this is that if “normal” mode is activated, the light will then default to “normal” and not “strobe”.
Is there a pre-made light out there that has this capability? Or is there a programmable system that can make this happen?
Or
Do I need to look into the world of modding a light?
Thanks very much for your time and assistance, and Happy New Year!
P.S. I know there are ways to activate strobe mode with specific button presses. My situation is that an audience member will be controlling the flashlight, so I need them to turn the light on an off as they would a traditional light, as I won’t be able to explain any specific instructions to them.
Wellp, cheaper might be to try to find a Lumintop ED20-T. Discontinued, but maybe someone has one who’d be willing to sell. (Nope, I’m keeping mine.)
2-button tailcap:
• Press’n’hold the taller button (mode) and it’s momentary turbo for as long as you hold the button.
• Press’n’hold the shorter button (power) and it goes right to strobe, stays on, need to click to turn off.
Kinda throwy, but diffusion film on the front glass fixes that for pennies.
Easier (but pricier) would be getting a Nitecore Tiny Monstor like the TM03. Same dealy with the 2-button tailcap, same operation.
You can reverse strobe/turbo by doing something funky like unscrewing the tailcap, holding both buttons, rescrewing. Forgot which is default, so you might have to do that if you want whatever’s “opposite”.
Just thinking… I like it my way with momentary turbo on the big button, but if it’s the opposite, then strobe would be momentary and turbo would be click on/off.
anduril can not turn on strobe with a single clic, but an HDS (expensive) or a Novatac can
Novatac SPL-120 are pretty inexpensive on ebay (about $50)… but would need to be unlocked (250 clics), and then programmed to your prefered settings…
yes Novatac can turn on and off at strobe with a single clic
yes a double clic can give high or low, your choice…
but… the beam is very tight (tiny hotspot)… not sure if that would work in a theater setting… depends if youre looking to flood the stage (can not), or just target one person (can do)
another issue is light color, the Novatacs are very Cool White, above 6000K, and not very bright (70 lumens).
Novatac LEDs can be changed, but it is not very easy… some pics here
I hope you find a suitable light… at a reasonable price
If you can live with momentary on instead of constant, Anduril can do both in the new tactical mode. Can set it to 1H momentary strobe, 2H momentary steady output. Can even do 3H for anothercstrobe or brightness. Or have them in any order you want, even 3 different strobes. But for any of them you do have to hold the button.
The Lumintop does indeed look great, though hard to find.
You’re the first person to mention the ability to reverse the strobe/turbo functionality, did not know that was possible. The Nitecore’s are a bit pricey, but I appreciate the advice.
I did a bunch of research based on what you shared. The HDS/Novatac are definitely very cool, and also expensive/rare.
What’s wild to me is the unlocked setting that allows for a “Force Setting”. This is EXACTLY what I’m looking for in a flashlight, and yet even now in 2024 it seems HDS/Novatac are the only lights that offer this functionality.
It would be great if the user had the ability to choose the exact configuration they wanted based on a 1C and 2C setting.
For me it would be on 1C turn on strobe, 1C to turn off strobe. On 2C turn on steady beam, 1C turn off.
In my research of Anduril, I noticed the “momentary” setting for a 1H strobe which would work well, but I didn’t know it could make a 2H for a steady output (not strobe effect). Do you know where I could find those instructions?
I’ve read the table here (LINK), but it seems as if Momentary mode only allows for one option based on the last setting used.
Also (sorry for all the questions), in your experience where is the best place to shop for different lights that use Anduril? Are there any pre-built flashlight sites, rather than having to order them custom?
since Tactical mode is a new feature, you will want to know which specific off the shelf lights have already incorporated it into an off the shelf release. I think @ToyKeeper would be the best person to ask that question, or maybe also @wolfgirl42 might know.
Fenix has flashlights with a one touch strobe feature on their dual button UI for their duty lights. I think it’s on the PD36 TAC, TK16 v2, TK20R, Acebeam has it on the P17 and P18 Defenders, Speras has one (forget the name) Klarus has it in the XT series lights. You need to change the mode function around, but these lights should all offer instant strobe and regular modes also.
If you go the modding / custom firmware route you could flash an ATtiny based driver with a firmware configured to have two modes: strobe / high. This would be fairly easy to do. Or you could pay someone to mod a light for you, or build a fully custom solution.
Instead of a one light solution you could have multiple lights mounted in a 3d printed stand, and each one could offer single mode. This would give you multiple modes, colors, etc., and you could aim them in different directions. E-switch controlled lights will allow for remote mounted switches, so the lights could be some distance away from you as needed. Multiple light sources could be controlled by single switch as well. Going the fully custom route will open up a lot of possibilities. You’ll have to think about what you want, outside of the constraints of a ready made product.
Holding down the tailswitch will turn on momentary strobe mode, which stops after you release it. And rotating the rotary switch allows you to go from off to the memorized mode, then back to off by rotating it back. It’s not quite a conventional flashlight, but it also doesn’t require remembering button sequences or good dexterity (like rapid button presses) to do both actions.
The catch here is that it tends towards throw instead of flood due to the LED and reflector shape, though you can probably check some reviews for beamshots to determine if it would be sufficient for your purposes.
excellent info for the OP @p3animal, now they can just buy an off the shelf Titanium TS10v2 (be sure to order With Battery)
and thanks to the floody beam of the TS10, their helper in the Audience can use Tactical Momentary to strobe the stage, hopefully effectively
caveat, the only V2 models atm are Titanium, which has terrible Heat Dissipation, so the light will Dim Itself very quickly (within seconds), to prevent overheating the components inside of the light. Not good for Sustained output, but hopefully the application only calls for Brief, Momentary use.
and because the light is on sale for 25% off, it will only cost them about $40, plus a Charger for just $4
I just want to say, Thank You wolfgirl42! for always being super helpful…
Or just two separate lights. One set to go on and off on strobe with one click on or off. Second light to do whatever you want. That is going to be the simplest for you and the light and the audience member. Then you just have to pick how wide and what type of flash you want and then you can narrow down what light you need.
I recently bought some flashlights from a company called Aplos. One of them seems to be something you might be interested in, as I’m going over your requirements it came to mind.
Aplos t03. It has a tail click, when fully pressed will do a tactical strobe. when half pressed it will turn the light on, and holding the half press will go through low/med/high with a memory function…
It’s got a lot of really nice features. the price is good, and it comes from amazon so if it’s something you don’t like there is the possibility to return it. it might be something you’d want to look into as well as the other options provided in the thread already.
Thank you very much to everyone who has helped out with this. I wish the general world was as generous as this forum.
I have decided to go with the Wurkkos TS25. I have also purchased a flashing adapter. Because of my specific needs for the show, I need a side switch and not a taillight.
What I’m hoping to do is flash a new firmware per @Hoop 's comment that will enable a strobe on a single click (on/off) and a normal beam on a double click.
I can offer payment to someone out there who could program a simple firmware for me. Are there specific users I should message who offer this?
My only challenge is a time crunch, I am looking to get this completed by January 22nd.
Thanks again for all your assistance, I’ve learned so much so far and the journey has just begun.
The MCU that @Hoop referenced is not the same one found in the TS25. But that’s alright, because the TS25 can be easily updated on your own.
Updating the TS25’s firmware to the version that includes the constant current + strobe interface you seek is something you could easily do on your own with your phone, the ZFlasher app, and a USB-C power+transfer cable.
Solution found within the deadline and without having to send the TS25 out, easy peasy!
