Most expect a button to click or beep when depressed, and expect one button —> one thing it does. If it doesn’t click, its not pressed enough, “sensitivity” in a button is alien: they press their keyboard and car alarm and TV remotes and microwave buttons all the same pressure, and if it doesn’t work, just press harder. Add to that not knowing how much light to expect or what a mode change looks like with each button press also adds uncertainty in what to expect when you do press the thing, since most have never seen anything like it.
My first was a cheap Chinese five mode clicky no-instruction special. I had to fiddle with it a minute or so myself at first, depressing all the way in to click it off/on each time, and it WAS changing modes, then noticing it did change modes before it was clicked all the way in got me on the right track. Took me prob less than a minute, but if you handed it to someone (or me) while they were talking or doing something else I can see ignoring verbal instructions and just fiddling with it (“its just a flashlight, gimmie that, let me see”), and if you handed it to some older people I know it would be hopeless and they’d call you to ask how to change the modes again every time they used it…
Just wait, in two decades we can get our old computers out and watch in amusement as the 20 yr olds try to touch and scroll and poke our old flat screen monitors to get the computer to do something and look confused!
I had no trouble with it either, after figuring out all the modes once. To someone who is not used to lights, two and doesn't use them a lot, I guess it can be confusing.
One thing the EA4 does I wish more lights did... beacon mode. Totally useless, but so much fun :D
You're simply using a stupid word that doesn't relate to what they are expecting .. The word click to you means one thing and another to someone else ...like everyone else a click is a click ..what the hell is a half click ??
just say quick tap ....Say ...'don't click it ..
click it on and off .. but to change modes do quick soft taps ..
the words half click doen't make sense to a non flashaholic .
And the way you describe it they are wondering as they push how far half way is ....and why nothing happens at the half click point .....when in truth it only happens when they release ...they are looking for something at the down stroke ... not the up ~
just say turn the light on ...and now tap it lightly to change modes ..after the 4th too light tap they will realize it takes a little harder tap..
But you're right ...they all seem to have major mode problems in the begining .
On cheap lights with modes the next most obvious question is why in the hell is it flashing >> who the hell would want something like that ....make it stop !!! You find yourself trying to defend even the very existance of a strobe mode
After 4 minutes of tryng to explain why it has a strobe or SOS... or why a cop would strobe a bad guy with a gun to gain a tactical advantage .... it's easier to just say .."I have no idea ..Chinese people are idiots"
please quote a half a page for a two word comment ..
I love to scroll
I think it's just a misuse of the word click
but
I seen it, been there,done that ..My parents seem to have lost the ability to process simple tasks :P
Sadly my mother has no bone in her finger with which to press anything short of a forward clcicky anyway .(extreme calcium loss ??)
i think 2 mode lights are under rated
the xiware /archeon that has 2 modes that are set by you via ramping is one of the smartest ideas yet
in either one of the two modes you hold the button and it immediately goes to it's lowet setting and starts ramping up to max then flashes ..anytime you release it sets that mode .
Nice thing about this light is it has an electronic switch so everything is a full click since it's a micro switch ..has a great feel like a zebralight switch ..
the strangest light is
The streamlight L2 tasklight is a 2 mode with a side clicky that takes a full click to change modes ...without thinking about it you naturally leave it burning on low mode when you think you've turned it off ..it's very odd feeling .. full click on goes to hi ///full click to low /// full click turns it off
Hand em a twisty and tell em a quick twist on/off/on changes modes. (yeah, I realize the double slash marks just lost some folks)
Or tell em to click twice for high, watch the fun. Kinda like driving an Aggie crazy by placing him in a circular enclosure and giving orders to pee in the corners.
After mastering the twisty, they can graduate to a clicky.
Or, for those clicky challenged, get em an MBI Torpedo with Magnetic Switch for control on a smooth rotation, no clicks or errant twists just ramp it up!
(yes, I know, those aren’t ready yet, sorry) But when they are….they’ll take an Alkaline AA, or a Nicad, NiMh, or Li-ion…putting out in the neighborhood of 500 lumens on an Li-ion. I should be getting a Beta version in the next few weeks and will post info on it when I do. The full production run will come later this year.
The distinction between click versus tap makes a lot of sense. That’s a good tip.
I’m really picky about UI. Less is more for me. UI guides my puchases.
Loathe strobes/SOS, avoid them like herpes. Never use them, never will. Have passed on buying many lights b/c of (unhidden) strobes. Hidden strobes are usually OK.
I have several small single modes for around the house, the wife, and the garage. Don’t find much use for lower modes when working.
My ZL SC80w can still be a pain in the arse sometimes with the long/short press. Sometimes I jump to hi when I just need low.
Reverse clickies that require full clicks to change modes suck. My crelants annoy me with that, and they do get less use b/c of it.
If I had my way, more lights would be simple .5% / 35% / 100% tri modes.
there was once my I passed a KD 5 mode drop in a Solarforce L2 to my MRS. she accidentally hit soft press and the Strobe jumped into action with full power… she screamed…. ahhhh….
