PWM= Pulse Width Modulation. On lower settings the LED doesnt dim, but turns off/on so fast your brain cannot perceive it consciously usually, however some people are still affected by the frequency, the idea is slower PWM that gets close to the edge of visual perception may be more bothersome, but some people never report affects. I know settings in the Warrior can sometimes make me feel somewhat “queazy”, but the Warrior is adjustible, so messing with it may reduce these effects. There is no easy way to tell if you are sensitive or not without trying.
TR-3T6 also has PWM…most do anyways, but generally people report less effects from its PWM, I know it doesnt bother me as much as Warrior’s. However there are different drivers and models and all Chinese flashlights get copied and cheapened with time and you may buy a nice one at one place and a poor one at another and there is no real easy way to figure this out usually ahead of time, some times a seller may start out with a “good” model and then later buy from the exact same supplier who now supplies a cheapened copy. Anyways, TR-3T6 has generally been a good/sturdy light, not as popular as SRK and therefore not as copied/cheapened and less “lotto” in buying one.
FYI - My TR-3T6 (from WallBuys) is horribly under-driven and therefore pathetic in use (see post #252 here). I don't ever use it. Need to pull out the driver some day, but haven't gotten to it yet. Just try to be sure you get a TR-3T6 that can be vouched for as being a good one.
Yup as above ^ you never know what you get for certain in ANY Chinese light thats been out a while. Warrior is the better light for output for sure, and SRK is brighter than TR-3T6 too on average, but if you are worried about the switch and PWM I’d recommend the TR-3T6.
I still use my TR-3T6 preferably to my SRK and Kung: TR-3T6 doesn’t burn your hand, output is great and can be run on high for almost 2hrs with 3x 18650@3400mAh ea. I love using the Warrior and used it almost exclusively for a month, but I have to almost always run it on high to avoid PWM queaziness, and thats tough if its not cool enough. Now that night is coming on earlier now I’ve started to use 12x and 15x T6 lights again, TR-3T6 also thrown into the mix again. I have too many lights to choose from anymore But what I’m saying is, even though TR-3T6 is dimmer, its still a good light, plenty bright, and I do find myself going back to it. If you are into modding it, I’m sure some XML2s would improve it as well.
Thanks Garrybunk. I did look for post 252 on your link Garry’ but it doesn’t exist yet. Also checked 25 and 52.
Thanks B42 I heard people ‘hated’ PWM but I had no idea it could make people queasy. Is its the same as motion sickness (which is your eyes and inner ear telling your brain they are not on the same page)? I get motion sick easily. Very easily.
I think it is similar, but not as bad, not all are affected, and it depends on what you do with it. For example, running is worse than walking, and I tend to look all around as I run in the dark, for animals etc (especially anything small and furry that my dogs will go crazy over and I need to prepare to rein them in). When I am passing by trees and bushes at certain speeds with PWM on I’ll catch “glimpses” of what I first saw as “webs”. Its really just the recognition of the flashes in the edges of vision. Another way you can see the flashes is in the rain: on several lights rain looks like the rain in cartoons on medium with small lines, on low the rain looks like smaller dots falling. That can be kind of fun visually, the longer the pulse (and brighter the setting), the longer the “rain” is.
Most cheap lights do have PWM, and not all affect me, and some modes more than others, it depends on how fast it is set to flash and this is determined by the driver. With Warrior on full batteries, if you are looking at a long continuous runs over 15-30 min, it will get too hot and have to be switched down to low periodically to cool off. A TR-3T6 is usually in the right zone to be able to run on high continually and be very bright, without overheating or causing issues if you are worried about it. Of course it all depends on what you are doing with it, what the temperature is, how important maximum brightness is and how long you use it and what settings you use!
#1. I have a greenhouse and if I have live plants and its a cold winter night I will be out there messing around with a paraffin heater in the dark. If there are ‘trespassers’ in the garden (people looking for things to steal in garden sheds eg they hit the neighbors shed 2 weeks ago) in the dark I’d hope the brightness would kind of ‘stun’ them if they fancied getting me/my keys. I can’t imagine how they would tackle me properly while being unable to look in my direction. So its a safety idea there, as well as helping me light the greenhouse and see what I’m doing. I’d also feel a little safer if I could flood the garden with light first to make sure there is nobody there in the first place especially as the garden is secluded. I’d say the longest I’d be out would be 10 mins stints (because I need to go out again after about 20 mins to check the burners are correctly adjusted).
#2. This is a bit unusual. I like taking photos of my plants too. I have strobes that mean I’m using one of my lenses well stopped down. This gives me lots of depth of field but lower sharpness. I have another camera fitted with a very dense neutral density filter that allows me to use a much wider aperture. The problem is composure and focus through such thick filter - I can’t see anything. The lens has also been dropped meaning its difficult to get the filter on and off, so it stays on. I have a little cree and a LED maglite and its a struggle to see much with the camera. I did buy a laser to try and focus on points, but I’d rather deal with a big bright light - so I can light the flower, compose & focus. The light would be turned off at that point. Composing and focusing with a good light won’t take that long because both cameras are pretty much the same and I have tripod quick release plates on both. So its a matter of taking one camera off the tripod and replacing it with the other and making a few tweaks.
All-in-all I’d probably not be moving that much and would be trying to use as much power as I could so by what you said in your last I don’t think the PWM would be affecting me in the way I was cautious about - motion sickness queasiness. LOL but now I have seen garrybunk’s proof the Warriors could be getting substituted parts like you warned about (if I’m reading this right?).
Rollcall I guess - has anyone ordered recently and got a substandard light and where from?
(PS. From what I’ve read so far its protected cells for both the Warrior and the Ultrafire?)
Well if you are only using it for small amounts of time and on highest brightness, then I’d get the Warrior for sure. But, in close quarters it is very very bright and will whitewash everything out. I’d get protected for certain with 3T6 because it is a series setup, Warrior is less necessary, but I’d use protected batteries in either one, they are generally safer, I feel the extra layer of safety is nice to have just in case, to preserve battery recharge # life, and you are new to Li-ion lights, so its easier to “mess up” at first.
Oh well look what’s happened now with Hong Kong post? Seems anything send via them from Fasttech is scanned and 18650 batteries returned to Fasttech! Other routes seem to be frowned upon. And if I look at UK suppliers they are very, very expensive. Poop!
I bought one piece from this flashlight from Fasttech. Overall, I am satisfied, the brightness is OK, all functions work, but it has got a problem. On of the 3 LED light continously, while the flashlight is OFF. Not with full brightness, after I turn off the flashlight it is initially strong and constantly weakens. But never go out completely.
This LED is, what get the supply from the 2nd driver part. What could be the problem? I see, there is one 7136 on every LED driver part. This could be wrong? It has got a partial short circuit, and continously leak through some current?
I used wrong word, I think, that 7136 marked FET has got a problem, and without Gain voltage has got some Drain-Source current throuhg flow. So something like, because I don’t know this 7136 accurate operation, I mean, it is not a common FET, it has got 4 legs.
So you already think, that this 7136 has got a problem? Where can I buy for low price?
In this switching the microcontroller generate PWM signal for the FET, and the current is flow through the FET from this proportion. Or I didn’t see correct? Or the two other smaller FET is doing the current limiting, not the 7136? I don’t know exactly, A0DG or AODG marked.
Post a picture of the driver here (be sure to use macro settings on your camera) and then we will see which component would be most responsible for leakage.
I decided I could use one for work so I ordered a Warrior from Fastech on April 9th. It showed up in the mailbox today! Talk about fast. That’s eight days from China to the middle of the US. And the light doesn’t disappoint. This thing rocks :bigsmile: It’s even a little more throwy than I was hoping for. Good quality too. What else can I say? Totally worth 37 bucks.
But what I’m saying is, even though TR-3T6 is dimmer, its still a good light, plenty bright, and I do find myself going back to it. If you are into modding it, I’m sure some XML2s would improve it as well.