Special Modes/Functions. Which ones and why??

[Mike_C]

As you are considering having bike light options you might want to implement “bike bump detection”, providing your driver hardware supports it. A bump is a very short power off cycle caused by battery rattle when riding over bumps, way to short duration to be able to do with a clicky off press.

When a bump is detected the light does not change modes or reset anything, it continues along as if it was never off, regardless of mode memory settings. Without this bump detection, any small bump that causes a very quick power off cycle will change mode if the light is clicky switch, or will reset the light if it’s an E-switch light with mode memory turned off.

I believe this is a Toy Keeper original idea, at least it was from her I saw this for the first time. I love this feature and now have it in all my lights.

[chadvone]

@Mike C

A special mode/function I’ve programmed into my lights is when I use them as bike lights to be seen (not to see). It’s a two blink beacon flash with 3 second interval, but with constant back-light. So it’s on in lower mode but the beacon flashes are of a higher mode.

I use 5 step voltage blinks for my lights. 5 blinks means 4 volts or above, 1 blink means lower than 3 volts. I don’t care about being exact linear but the steps are closer the higher the voltage is.

Bike flasher will be adjustable, brightness and frequency.

On your 5 step scale , when do you change cell, at one blink?

My drJones H17F driver has bump detection. I have tried many lights on my bars, and never had any change modes or shut off while hitting bumps. I am not that aggressive. Have had magnet tail lights blink while attaching them to something. But not go off or change modes.
I think it would be easy enough to add.

[KawiBoy1428]

@Jerommel

1 or 2 blinks per second beacon could be useful when you lay dying in a ditch somewhere.
Batt check is useful too.

Going into the light mode!

[chadvone]

@KawiBoy1428

@Jerommel

1 or 2 blinks per second beacon could be useful when you lay dying in a ditch somewhere.
Batt check is useful too.

Going into the light mode!

Gradually dims

[Mike_C]

@chadvone

Bike flasher will be adjustable, brightness and frequency.

My point is having “back lighting” on these strobe modes also adjustable. Instead of blinking between on and off, I can have them blink between low and high.

@chadvone

On your 5 step scale , when do you change cell, at one blink?

I’d change earlier if I have spares with me, but see no need to measure below 3V. I set critical shutdown at 2.7V.

[chadvone]

My point is having “back lighting” on these strobe modes also adjustable. Instead of blinking between on and off, I can have them blink between low and high.

YES exactly what I have in my UI.

Post #3

My Quest for the perfect EDC user interface. (E-switch)

After failed attempts to have my UI written. I have decided to have a go at it myself. This thread will be a time line of my progress. The UI will change but the concept will be the same. I will attempt to remove restrictions of my current lights. And add features I believe are handy in a EDC interface. Following post will be updated and changed as I learn and make progress. Lights in mind at this time- D4 FW3A H03 10-10-18 Found some videos on C 10-20-18 Learning to type. My right most fing…

Strobe will be over OFF.

Bike Flasher will be over OFF or ANY other level.

I am in process of explaining the Features in more detail.

You might also be interested in Post#4 a simple run down.

[DavidEF]

I think it would be great to have ALL the special modes available for anybody who wants them. But, I don’t want any special modes as part of the normal cycle Lo -> -> -> Hi ( or Hi -> -> -> Lo if you’re weird like that). IMHO, it should take special button presses to get to the special modes. For instance, to get to Moonlight mode could be a click-hold from off. Battery check could be accessed by click-hold from on. And to access the “SOS” mode, you could do three clicks, followed by three click-holds, followed by three more short clicks.

[chadvone]

@DavidEF

I think it would be great to have ALL the special modes available for anybody who wants them. But, I don’t want any special modes as part of the normal cycle Lo -> -> -> Hi ( or Hi -> -> -> Lo if you’re weird like that). IMHO, it should take special button presses to get to the special modes. For instance, to get to Moonlight mode could be a click-hold from off. Battery check could be accessed by click-hold from on. And to access the “SOS” mode, you could do three clicks, followed by three click-holds, followed by three more short clicks.

All can be hidden. I don’t have a SOS mode, but my bike flasher will have 1x-3x flashes.

Edit. thanks for your input David

[chadvone]

maybe special modes are not that special

[DavidEF]

BTW, that last line in my post was a joke. If you did that sequence of clicks, you would already be doing the Morse code for SOS and wouldn’t need the “SOS mode” anyway.

[Tom_Tom]

@Mike C

A special mode/function I’ve programmed into my lights is when I use them as bike lights to be seen (not to see). It’s a two blink beacon flash with 3 second interval, but with constant back-light. So it’s on in lower mode but the beacon flashes are of a higher mode.

No problem with that in the UK, but it wouldn’t suit the German bicycle lighting authoritarians. Who would like to impose their will over all EU countries, but fortunately generally get resisted. Solution in search of a problem (and comfy careers and home protectionism to protect, along with dynamo and standlicht systems, )

Everything you need to know about cycle lighting regulations | Cycling UK

We are pretty relaxed. As long as there is some sort of light, white at the front, red at the back, flashing or continuous, that’s about it. And a compliant pair of reflectors, in case the battery runs flat. We are also supposed to have orange pedal reflectors, but the keen bikies don’t, actually no way to fit them to their trick pedal systems.

Then there are the e-bike regulations here. Unsurprisingly a certain country is trying to dominate and protect their manufacturers, supplying inferior products (but with cheating firmware that gives an illegal performance boost, for just long enough to cream competitors off the line and impress naive buyers), totally locked down, no DIY tampering possible, only an authorised dealer has the kit to interrogate the controller, and re-set any fault conditions. Or just say “warranty voided” And the battery has to talk to the motor and be sure it is legit. before it will even turn on. And vice-versa. Blatant. But hindering development.

Thank you Bosch. And the others.

And give up on your dirty cheating (dieselgate, you made and your people programmed the ECUs for VW), and the rest. Even integrated into vacuum cleaners. Dyson BEATS infuriating EU rules on vacuum cleaners after energy crackdown | UK | News | Express.co.uk

My twin beam MTB headlamps are nearly as good as a set of legal car headlamps, and have a well defined beam. So why shouldn’t I use them, sensibly, on road ?

https://swhs.home.xs4all.nl/fiets/tests/verlichting_analyse/verkeersregels/de_stvzo/index_en.html

Really this is an extreme example of typical DE bureaucracy gone mad, with nobody at the top seeing sense or calling a halt.

Rant off.

[264]

If I still rode pedal bikes I would want something like the BFL Q8 for nighttime rides. Concerning special modes. I really like the momentary “on” feature found on the Fenix LD12’s and the Thrunite Archer 1A’s. The older LD12’s can not use 14500 batteries. The Archer 1A’s are supposed to be able to handle 14500 batteries. I do not have the guts to find out if that is true. Only time I ever use S.O.S. or strobe is by accident in the middle of the night. My wife just laughs at me now and is no longer grumpy about it.

1. Mode memory.
2. Monetary “On”.
3. Battery voltage stated good or bad via red/green/blue special light.

[chadvone]

@DavidEF

BTW, that last line in my post was a joke. If you did that sequence of clicks, you would already be doing the Morse code for SOS and wouldn’t need the “SOS mode” anyway. :laughing:

I didn’t get it. Now I am laughing.

[chadvone]

Thanks for your input 264.

I don’t plan on multi-color voltage state. I do plan to give plenty of warning before shutdown, and capable of turning back on in the lowest few modes in an emergency. And a warning when inserting a partially depleted cell.

[Mike_C]

@chadvone

YES exactly what I have in my UI.

Ahh, I didn’t see that. Must have missed a few lines.

[mmalive]

I really do not use any special modes at all. Most of time I run my lights at highest setting. BUT always good to have special modes available and handy when you need them.

[Petr_Sixta]

Perhaps a delayed shutdown might be useful. After the set time, the lamp will turn off.
Similarly, as some cars do after locking.

[wle]

i would like a mode to completely use up a battery in case you happen to be using primaries instead of rechargeables AA or CR123A)
preferably the electronics would also permit some light to the bitter end, also

maybe a super low ‘find me in the dark but don’t actually illuminate anything’ mode - 0.1 lumen or less?

wle

[Agro]

How about programmable blinkies?
You create a sequence with a momentary mode, flashlight plays it in a loop?

[chadvone]

@wle

i would like a mode to completely use up a battery in case you happen to be using primaries instead of rechargeables AA or CR123A)
preferably the electronics would also permit some light to the bitter end, also

maybe a super low ‘find me in the dark but don’t actually illuminate anything’ mode - 0.1 lumen or less?

wle

A sub lumen look directly into the light with dark adapted eyes is in my plan.

Have no plans for primaries, but I do plan to have emergency light even if it over discharges a cell.