Hello BLFers!
This is Barry. Long time no see, how are you guys!
We’re developing a tactical flashlight, and want to make it special and professional.
So we want YOUR expertise to shape its UI! (Especially for professionals who rely on tactical flashlights in their work)
Current Prototype Features:
From OFF: Long-press to temporarily activate strobe - release to turn off.
From ON: Long-press to enter persistent strobe mode - single-click returns to previous level.
Alright BLFers, don’t be shy. Hit me with your best UI ideas!
Thanks for all the suggestions. Now we have a new idea for the UI:
Long press to enter Strobe mode (from either ON or OFF), release to turn it off.
Double-click the secondary switch to access full brightness, single click to return.
Does this UI make sense? What do you think?
Troof? Sounds like too many brightness levels. That’d be more for EDC than tacticool.
How many people would want?, meh, they can weigh in with what they want. But having to count steps to cycle through from lowest to medium, sounds like a pain.
Tailswitch should be switchable between strobe and turbo via config. To a lot of people, myself included, strobe is less than useless. Useless would be being able to configure it out. Less than useless means it takes up a UI slot.
Config? Say, pressing/holding the tailswitch, 10 clicks on the sideswitch to toggle strobe/turbo, release the tailswitch.
Anyhoo…
Just beware the “iF iT dOesN’t hAvE AnDrUiL tHeN i dOn’T wAnT iT!!” crowd. They’d want the latest version of andy installed on a toaster. You know, Morse code your way into the config options just to set the toasting from light to dark and having RGB aux lights in the bottom of the toasting slots.
I actually remember one light with a chonky tailcap that had both tailswitch and button switch on the side of it, but can’t for the life of me remember what light it was.
For a tactical light, it needs to be simple and intuitive. It also needs to have a lower mode for doing normal tasks like reading documents or finding things in a vehicle. Not a bunch of lower modes, just one.
From Off
Single click: Full lumen output
Double click: 50-100 lumen output
Hold: Strobe
From On
Single click: Turn off
Double click: 50-100 lumen output
Hold: Strobe
Here’s an ideal tactical/duty UI for a dual swotch setup:
Main switch should be a mechanical forward switch. From OFF or ON half press shoups be momentary Turbo, and full press should lock in Turbo.
Turbo should be available on any mode, on or off.
The other switch should be a momentary e-switch and control the regular brightness levels. There should be at most three levels: Low, Medium, High. Clicking the e-switch from OFF should turn the light on in the mode groups and clicking it should cycle through the modes Low-Medium-High-Low. No need for an Eco or Moon mode on this type of flashlight.
For brightness levels, Low should be about 100 Lumens, Medium about 500 Lumens, High about 1000-1200 Lumens. Turbo should be at least 3000 Lumens.
Long pressing the e-switch should activate a strobe mode in any condition (on, off, in any mode).
Keep it simple and usable. Under stress, you dont think about low modes, just max brightness.
Low/med/hi, just like old skool. Turbo that isn’t part of the cycle (2 clicks?). Turbo strobe hidden (3 clicks?). Mechanical reverse clicky with a nice snap. Just sitting here clicking my old copper Tool AAA. Nice!
It would help to have additional detail about what exactly the buttons are, and where they are.
Specifically, are they clicky switches which physically disconnect power? If so, are they forward or reverse clickies? Or are they e-switches? Or a mix of both?
And where are the switches located?
This has a big impact on which types of user interface are possible.
In my experience, the tactical crowd usually wants reliable instant access to high mode and strobe, for tactical purposes, easily accessed with one hand even while wearing gloves… and also some sort of low mode for more practical use. And usually not much else.
Where can I buy that toaster? Does it has a Turbo Mode where it toasts the toast in under 10 seconds?
I think most normal users want something like:
Long press from off: Moon
One press, cycle through 3 modes
Double press: Turbo
Long press from on: Off in all modes
But that is a Side-switch-only UI
Also I don’t know that “tactical” users want other than that.
I don’t even know what a “tactical” use of a flashlight is. For me, tactical is just referred to the “cool” optics of a flashlight and nothing else since this word gets overused AF.
Probably means something like military, police or night watchmen?
1 click, user programmable brightness mode.
1 hold >100ms, user programmable momentary tactical mode (from any mode, returns to previous last known state upon release)
2C, user programmable sub mode.
2H see 1H.
3c, user programmable sub2 mode.
3H see 1H.
4c, voltage readout.
15+ clicks, programming mode, buzzing mode awaiting input for 5 seconds (if no action then keep current programming):
1C for 1c mode,
2C for 2c mode, etc.
Hold>100ms for 1h, 2h, 3h modes.
After mode is selected, hold to ramp up, 2H to ramp down. 7 (for completeness) click to verify, followed by estimated amperage draw readout for programmed mode, based on Anduril number readout method for non-blinky modes. Light defaults to off after each 7click and readout.
I’ve been using a Nitecore P12 (2014) for 10+ years and now I use the MH12PRO as main light. They both have what I personally consider the most important: they remember strobe so I can activate it instantly. No need for hold, double press, triple press or anything else that from my experience might not be ok when panicked or in a rush.
For MH12PRO I can keep the strobe saved and if I want to use the flashlight without triggering the strobe, I can simply press both buttons at the same time to trigger lowest mode and move up from there.
At the other end of the spectrum I have the Olight M18 striker that needs 3x half presses for strobe. There is no way I can do that in a second when I see a dog at night rushing towards me.
This is just my opinion based on my experience and my needs. When it comes to strobe, instant beats holding that beats multiple presses.
Looks like you’re exactly the tactical user we’ve been looking for!
So you’re suggesting quick turbo + quick low mode as priorities. How essential is strobe functionality for your needs?
