Is if Just Me? I hate Flashlights with Multiple Sttings
 

It's a slow day at work.....

I was just wondering...does anyone here Ever use the blinking feature that seems to come on all flashlights these days?

I like the fact that you can get a cheap 3-pack of pretty bright flashlights at Costco and other places. But, they all have multiple settings; Dim, Blinking, & Bright. I find myself scrolling thru to the bright setting which I sometimes miss the desired setting and have to go thru all the settings again until I get to bright. Seems like 6 pushes to get to the desired setting is too much.

Why can't we just keep it simple with On/Off? Am I the only one complaining?

Yup

Fellow Hater here!

I'd like to release feral cats at their factory

Ha! I was complaining about this last night. Who the hell uses a flashlight for something and thought to themselves “ this is too bright I wish it was dimmer”

+1 more. I have 3 or 4 of the damned things.

I have 23 years in the flashlight world so here are some observations - Law Enforcement likes flashlights with a few settings: strobe for disorientating perps, broad beam for looking for shell casings at crime scenes, tight, high lux beam for looking down alleyways. Same with the outdoor crowd - spot to flood, bright to dim, depending upon what they are doing around the campsite. Maintenance guys often want a dim setting option as high lumen lights can be so bright they reflect off polished surfaces and obscure the thing you want to look at. A dim setting also lengthens the battery life.

That said, in my experience, most users want the brightest light possible with a simple on / off switch.

I don't want/need the blinking, but I do like to have 3 brightness settings. I would also appreciate being able to adjust from wide to spot. When I'm doing astronomy, I also like the ability to run dim red light.

Yes but i mostly just want one bright enough to see what im doing that doesnt have a dead battery
I only get the free harbor freight ones they have two settings and even thats annoying. Iv got a 18v dewalt light with on and off thats the main one i use and its great

Remember when Maglights were cutting edge? I just want a super bright one of those that doesn’t need 4 D cells to be awesome...

A AA sized Maglight with LED technology is what I think most of us need / want.

I have the very ones you speak of from Cosco (3 pack). Really nice LED lights but about my only use is to retrieve the dog's poop when walking him in the dark (didn't see that in Yorkie's description of uses). Having to run through all the options just to turn it off is aggravating. I feel fortunate that this is one of the few things I have to complain about in life!

Around the house, I use my Dewalt 20V aimable flashlight for projects on the farm. You can look into the next zip code with that thing, and have it sit stable on any magnetic surface.

Yes, dumb. Bought a mini mag rechargeable light that I use daily. 3 settings: off / low / hgh. Really? If I need to spread some sunshine why would I want to barely illuminate something?

I've used the flashing light several times, at a auto crash scene, or to mark an object to find later.

There is no "DUMB" feature, only one you're not going to use..........(just like on a stereo that has 200 settings)

cheap 500 lumen costco units are poor at basic illumination.

here is every choice in the world, and then some........


https://www.banggood.com/buy/flashlight.html

Me.
Looks like I'm a dissenter on this one.
Outside - the brighter the better, but if I'm trying to do something around the house where there are often reflections back at me from something I'm looking at up close, I like the light to be just strong enough to see.

Oh the tragedy of first world problems. :rolleyes:

Low light setting means it will last longer in a blackout. I never did get the flashing light thing but maybe people use that instead of a road flare?

I found some, what I think is cool, flashlights on sale at a Honda web site that was no longer going to be selling stuff. Bought a bunch of 'em as Xmas gifts. They have the flashing red, bright white/dimmer white and come with a very good magnet on the end so you can stick 'em up anywhere metallic. I don't know if I'll ever use mine, but it'd be good for changing a tire on a dark night at the side of the road.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1582391342.JPG

Came with batteries too so I can't complain much.

Hold the button instead of clicking and it will skip other functions and turn off.

They need two switches. One does on/off, the other picks the mode, dim, bright, flash.

Fenix PD-35. Great little light with two buttons. :)

Have to disagree there. For some reason, manufacturers like multi-mode tac lights, but 99.9% of LEOs out there don't use or want them (including "strobe" modes). That goes for both handheld and WMLs. The vast majority prefer/use single-mode lights with momentary switches. There are several reasons for this. The only "mode" that is preferable/useful is the ability to switch from momentary to constant-on. Typically, this is done with a single clicky switch (or a paddle in the case of a pistol WML) that gives you momentary with a half-press and constant-on with a full press. ;)

http://www.ruizhealytimes.com/sites/...15/07/like.png

Quite a few options out there with both rear clicky (on/off) and side-switch or rotory dial (mode select). ;)

Those Costco flashlights that have focus and 2 brightness settings chew up batteries on the high setting. Use the low setting if it works under the circumstance. I have some AA rechargeables and they don't do half the life of a lead acid.

Yeah, if you are going to be using one regularly, then it usually makes sense to invest in a good light, rechargeable lithium batteries, and a decent charger (or a light with a built-in usb charger). For lights that may go unused for long periods of time, but need to work if/when you do need them, then primary (non-rechargeable) lithium cells are the ticket. Avoid all alka-leak batteries and lights with voltage-limited drivers that that can only use them, and nothing else.

This is a valid observation.

I always use high because it's better but often not necessary. My headband takes four double A batteries.

Every three weeks I am buying a 12 pack of Duracells from the FLAPS for $13.

The charger is the key. Good batteries (like Eneloops) can’t give good performance without a good charger.

has anyone found an LED bulb to replace the old style bulb in 18volt tool kit flashlites

I tryed the 3v to 12v bulbs from china but they can't live at 18v and burn out

the bulb called PR2 are common flashlite units in LED but NO 18V ONES

I did find them on Amazon, I think. Its been a while. Stupid expensive at the time so I passed.

If you've got an old school Maglight and you want to upgrade it to LED.

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Old school big arse flash light! On Off only... D Cells x3 and the light output diminished quickly.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1582441642.jpg

This things is great but what would you use it for? :eek:

The functionality seem sensible. Double tap for full brightness but it also has lots of other functions.

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I've always used a ton of flashlights, because I operate through the night.

For hand-helds, I have gone toward LED Lenser, and Pelican. I always buy Li-Ion rechargeable lights. I found that the head band lights just don't last more than a year, so I stopped buying those and instead buy "area lighting" by Pelican and Streamlight. Those obviate the need for a hand held, head band, or using your phone, etc. You can save money, or you can have a good light. Or you can waste money and still have a bad light.

Brands that I avoid now are Olight (just awful), and Mag Lite (weak, heavy). My favorite hand-held area light is now about 10 years old, and is the old school HID Lite Box. It uses the high beam arc light from Mercedes Benz, and is bright as hell.

Once you start thinking double or triple tap, it is pretty natural. Besides, I like flicking little buttons. A little foreplay can be enjoyable. I have a flipper knife by my computer too, and I open and close it one handed when I feel fidgety.

I like the new flashlights, and the power that comes in a small package. I like my old Maglight too, but mostly because it has the option of being used as a club. I love a beautiful useful object, but then there is this kid in me that thinks everything is a toy. As a guy who owns an old Porsche with the 915 gearbox, I have to say that part of the charm of things is the little quirks. Growing old is inevitable. Shaking your fist at clouds is optional.

I have to press the on/off button a few times to get my mini cree to strobe. If I simply hard press to turn it on/off, it turns on/off. If I soft press it, like a half press, it changes modes from bright, to dim, to strobe.

YES YES YES!

I FARKING HATE THOSE STUPID THINGS!!!!!!

God help the supplier of those stupid bright, brighter, flash circuit boards if i ever find him.

Also hate the switch being on the butt end.

We use them duck hunting. Wearing gloves and intermittently turning on. Worse than useless with the multiple settings and a switch on the butt end.

How do you put your finger on your rifle trigger with gloves on? You don't cut the first two fingers off the glove?

i use my iPhone flashlight all the time. the best flashlight is the one you have in your hands when you need it. does not get more convenient than that

Been thinking about the economics I experience. Honestly, eight (2 X 4) batteries a week.

What's a good charger? Sorry if already covered.

i LOVE a flashlight with multimodes. LOVE!

ever try to light up a plan-sheet (or trail map) with a modern LED flashlight? you will not be able to..and the impending blue orb floating in front of you eyes in the dark will eventually fade. i NEED the dimming feature on my flashlights and headlamps. plus there are sometimes you just want a faint light..like hiking in the dark. you dont need much light to not bust your ass, and it is nice to save some power.

strob? okay. i dont ever imagine myself trying to disorient a perp, but i imagine that strob would be superior as signaling my rescue chopper.

Hold a large flashlight and your hands are typically up near the bell end to balance and control it. On and off is a one handed operation. Not so with the darned butt end switches.