After the initial temperature configuration, if applicable, ramping and battery check are also the only things I use.
All the other features remind me of things I added to programs when I was a programmer. Neat options that 90% of the users never used or even asked for.
I absolutely love having my 2 lights with Anduril and Narsil.
In saying that, they are both configured exactly the same with smooth ramping floor to max turbo, with double click to turbo.
Q8 and FW21 Pro Copper - which I must confess (off topic) looks good with a patina. I bought it to look bling and shiny… now, I can’t wait for it to look “old”.
But to address the question at hand, no definitely not. It’s an expense for manufacturers that is not necessary for the bulk of the torch market.
IMO for Anduril lights to make it mainstream, the programming interface would have to be more ‘people friendly’.
Right now the only comparison I can think of are Casio’s G-Shocks: Yes, you can set timers, altimeters, barometers, GPS tracking using the 4 buttons on the watch but despite that, they had to evolve and create a more “visual” interface via mobile phone app.
Maybe in the future, there will be a way where the flashlight will interface (USB-C port? Bluetooth?) with a phone/computer/tablet into an app which can guide users where they are in what setting.
Maybe in the future, flashing the UI would be as easy as plugging into a USB port and updating an app (like smartwatches or dashcams).
I also agree with what was previously said — the UI would be another cause of concern for warranty or customer service.
For me, the Anduril thing went bad with Version 2. Some interesting functions work different (manual memory), and hybrid memory is a PITA. With some clicks I can mess it up, and no, I cannot remember how configuration works and it is not immediately obvious from the charts.
I’m too old for this, I know.
Sofirn has a nice ramping UI btw. Narsil has no good temperature regulation, and Crescendo, while extremely good, seems to have no audience since apparently only Mountain Electronics offers it.
Most people I know do not have any interest in flashlights other than emergency use, or to find something under the couch.
They have one or two in the kitchen junk draw and are happy with an on off user interface.
I have more flashlights than teeth. I use them so infrequently I don’t remember the UI’s anyway.
ANDURIL used in higher end lights Already covered extensively.
Just changing the question above slightly doesn’t change the end result. FC11 has ramping or stepping mode. Memory. Press and hold for Moon 2 lms from off. Double click at any time for turbo. The only thing it’s missing is a good accurate battery check.
I don’t need all those options that Anduril has , I would never use them.
I like simple UI’s.All I need is Low-Medium and MAX and the ability to disable the step down.
My custom FET Driver in my NI40 does just that. I have it set for 3%/50% and 100. Basically just use 100 And then 3% to cool down.
For an EDC add moonlight.
P.S. That is my new pup Nikko. 
He has heterochromia. Right eye is blue, left eye is light Brown. 
He’s a great dog, he is a rescue.
No. I have a few Emisar D4’s for fun, but for lights I use more often I avoid products with Anduril firmware.
I object to this. I had one Anduril light, learned to use it, gave it away, and won’t own another.
But as long as a connection is being made to nerdiness, here is what Anduril reminds me of…
Maybe 10 or 15 years ago, in the desktop linux space, this hot new desktop composter came out called “Compiz”.
In basic terms, it took all your desktop spaces, and it mapped them onto a spinnable gelatinous cube. All your windows on the faces of the cube would either jiggle or ripple or catch fire when swapped. As the hot new thing, it ended up on a lot of linux machines. Everyone had to have it. It was so obviously cooler than windows XP. Sometimes I would grab the cube and jiggle it as a nervous habit while waiting for something to load.
Then we all realized it was sort of silly and moved on to significantly more boring UX styles. Compiz still exists, but nobody uses it. The more useful components were cannibalized as part of open source evolution.
As adults, we are just as enthralled by new toys as toddlers.
Convoy have one, though the ramping is too fast at lower output levels. Sofirn/Wurkkos also have a ramping/stepped UI.
Lovely :).
< This is Nói,15 weeks old.
I think it’s already entered mainstream, at least a little bit, if we can use its presence in many lights available on Amazon now as a yardstick. This is dominated by just a couple manufacturers of course and they are a small piece of the pie in the big picture.
Everyone that I have shown the basic features to along with nice non-angry-white emitters has absolutely loved them and I helped several choose a light to buy. The basic interface with ramping is what people love the most (myself as well). Moon and turbo also impressed but most people are happy with a simple range to choose from (“I just want light when I need light…”). People don’t appreciate the battery check until they learn about lithium cells and charging. Indicator and aux lights impress but not many feel like they need them.
I think Anduril versions out of the box suit most people just fine and are very usable. The issues come when people have trouble understanding the complex navigation in using a single button instruction for choosing flowchart options in the menus. I think this may be harder for some as we have two generations now that are used to graphical interfaces and simple UI choices…the move back to an analog-type instruction with only light blinks as a visual prompt seems difficult to grasp until you get familiar with it. Certain amount of linear analytical thinking goes into that setup at inception, and many brains don’t slide along that path as easily (which we have seen since computers and programs got their start, and which is why GUIs were developed).
The other problem is when people or situations just start randomly pressing and holding the button. And then they’re sometimes faced with a “broken” light and/or have to deep dive into the interface to learn how to do a factory reset or change settings, etc.
I really like Sofirn’s ramping firmware that they’ve had for years now, and I really thought NarsilM was good, too. Both can suffer from some of the same issues but they are much simpler for people to understand and configure. If Simon will fix the ramping algorithm on his firmware, it could be closer to the ideal mass market choice.
I’ve wondered whether two buttons or something would be better for mass market folks. One that just works the light levels and can’t do programming interface, and then another (perhaps physically protected) button that you can do the nitty gritty with, if desired. Or maybe rather than a second normal switch button, maybe a recessed switch with a small access hole that you would use a pen point or whatever to activate/communicate via that switch button.
Anduril is such an accomplishment. It’s been a surprise over the years to see how many people are dissatisfied with it due to its (potential) complexity. The beauty of it is that the complexity isn’t really needed for most users to actually use the lights it’s installed in.
Maybe a PC/phone connected cable to software is a better approach? Some lights did that many years ago, was a pretty neat development that seems to have died. It would bring the easy to digest GUI back to the forefront and remove most of the abstract nature of what we do now. But then someone has to $$ develop and maintain that software and I could see companies shunning the idea of open source/compatibility there.
How are Lumintop and Sofirn lights not considered mass market? I would argue that they are, especially in the US where you can find them recommended or near the top of any flashlight search done on Amazon.
Unless you mean when will an Anduril light be found at the local supermarket. If any company used them not sure why but I feel like Energizer would be the most likely to adopt it first. They seem right on the cusp of deciding to enter the proper flashlight game.
mcflies has an excellent point. “Mainstream” may constitute different genre in different markets, geopolitical or cultural regions. BLF is a pretty diverse dichotomy as it relates to all those references. The finite number of manufacturers producing stock Anduril enhanced lights is primarily limited to China. Whether or not that equates to “mainstream” is predominantly a function of availability on the general market. The Wal-Mart’s of the world will continue to stock products that can maximize margins and minimize risk, while the independent distributors and dealers will maintain distribution relationships with tried and trusted manufacturers and pass cost volatility on to the end consumer. Many here have mentioned the complexities of introducing Anduril to the open market. Not sure about elsewhere in the world, but in the US, liability is assuredly the biggest issue. Retailers don’t want the hassle. That’s my take on the issue.
Is Anduril ever going to be “mass market”?
No, too complicated for 95% of flashlight users.
on/off/low/med/high - maybe turbo. Thats all most people want.
Nope, it is a flashlight equivalent of a stick shift, only fraction of a percent of people can drive one.
now that i think about it, it is only true about usa. the rest of the world drives it just fine.
In New Zealand, Sofirn is unheard of. I stopped stocking them in my store because they were too hard to sell, even at cost price. If it’s a brand they’re not familiar with, they want it dirt cheap otherwise it’s not worth the risk.
I refused to stock any Anduril based model because they were too hard to sell, those that purchased them weren’t very happy. One customer said the Fireflies ROT66 was his most hated model due to the UI.
Simple UI in V2 is okay, but only if it doesn’t require thermal calibration.
Yes, the return rate would be through the roof.
I have the TS10 as an example- it’s a great light BUT how do I get the ‘latest’ version of the UI? Oh, I’m sure some are gonna say ‘get a flash kit and DIY’ but that isn’t the way to mass market. I look forward to when Anduril can be updated as easily as updating the iOS in my phone.
Too complicated.
Even for me, I would just mainly use hold for moonlight, double press for turbo, triple press for strobe kinda thing