ATTENTION FENIX ENGINEERS!

[jayflash]

Just ordered two of the bike mounts ggg300 mentioned. If they work as well as they look, they'll be winners and superior to the Two Fish mount.

Also, as ggg noted, the sos & strobe can both be useful to alert drivers or pedestrians of your, biking, presence. There may be instances where either feature may be surprisingly useful.

I'm buying a P3D precisely because of the strobe, plus the multiple levels. When the bells & whistles aren't needed, I've got way too many other lights waiting for their chance to shine.

The extra modes are at the end of the switching sequence, so they aren't in the way; they're icing on a versatile, reasonably priced, light.

 

[coral_seas]

I hardly ever may require the SOS mode (in times of mobile phones). But more usefull to me would be a marker mode: a short flash (30% intensity, 10ms duration, every 1 or 2 seconds).
I could use it inside my car, to find it in a big parking lot, to mark my boat in the bay, or to signal others where I am.
There would be hunderts of occasions where such a mode could be more helpfull than a SOS signal.

 

[mechBgon]

As long as the Fenix engineers are monitoring this thread...

I for one very much like the Strobe feature. As was said, I can easily imagine it being a life saver (literally) when changing a tire on the side of a highway at night. Been there, done that, too many times.
The strobe place on the roof drip rail aimed down the shoulder behind your car (NOT directly into oncoming traffic) would be an invaluable alert light.

The SOS mode, while I can imagine some scenarios it might also be a life saver, is not one that would be used during the lifetime of most Fenix lights.

However, and here's my one big point, it would have been great to have the Strobe and the SOS together on one mode, and the low/med/high/turbo together on the other mode. That way you could totally ignore the "emergency" features until you need them, and when you do, they'd be there waiting for you at the twist of the bezel.
That, together with a memory feature with the light turning on in the brightness and mode it was last turned off with, would make my L2D-CD/Q5 so perfect that I would be tempted to buy a box of 'em. :huh:

I agree that it would be better to put the flashing modes into one group and the steady modes in the other group. No one wants SOS in the middle of the Low-Medium-High cycle, that's just silly. I mean, how many of us switch our light from Low to Medium to High, and then decide we have an actual emergency that calls for S.O.S. mode next, rather than Turbo?

[ Spock ] It is not logical, Captain. [ / Spock ]


And twisting the head on a slippery, insufficiently-knurled Fenix to get from Low-Medium-High to Turbo is not logical either. It detracts from my overall satisfaction with the L2D. I don't like twisty, especially not with a hand injury, but if there has to be twisting involved, I'd prefer that the twist is to access the rarely-used flashing modes.

To add to my suggestions to the Fenix engineers: if they decide to group Turbo with Low-Medium-High, they should also make the progression thus:

Low-Medium-High-Turbo-High-Medium-Low...

and NOT

Low-Medium-High-Turbo-Low-Medium-High...

so that when you reach Turbo, the next button tap after Turbo doesn't drop you to Low, but rather begins going back down the range in reverse.

 

[raythompson]

I've used the strobe a few times. The SOS, ask me after I've been stranded in a remote location for a few days and used it to alert a search and rescue team, which will hopefully never happen.

I think you would be better off with a green laser to signal rescue teams. Shines a long ways in the dark and is unique. For daytime a mirror works better than a flashlight as it has the power of the brightest light of all, the sun. SOS on a lflashlight ight is basically useless as a simply flashing light will gather attention when a search party is looking for a warm body.

 

[Federal LG]

I totally agree with this post!! I hate everything about the Fenix Digital Series, from the reverse clickies to the useless SOS and the Mall Commando's Strobe. Federal LG, if you ara KISS nut like myself, then you will LOVE the SureFire L1 Cree!

So, I think that we are KISS nut-brothers, Fanatic. Can you imagine a PERFECT Fenix L2 light with only Low, Medium and Turbo mode ? As I said, it would be perfect!

 

[Federal LG]

Actually, why don´t they build one L2 series light (powered by 2 AA) that has a rotating bezel, and as you rotate to tight it become more powerful beam, and as you rotate to open, it become a lower beam. So it will have, virtually, infinite modes! And you can regulate it exactly for the kind of work you´ll gonna do.

Just a suggestion too... (sorry about my bad english!) :thumbsup:

 

[Sgt. LED]

EEewwwww nut-brothers!
Anyway like you I like the idea of a KISS light. I'm anti strobe and SOS! I like the idea of trying a L2T head on a P2D body to get what we want till Fenix offers non blinky mode lights.

 

[Federal LG]

EEewwwww nut-brothers!
Anyway like you I like the idea of a KISS light. I'm anti strobe and SOS! I like the idea of trying a L2T head on a P2D body to get what we want till Fenix offers non blinky mode lights.

So... Sarge, you are a nut-brother too!
Welcome to the club!

 

[mikehill]

For daytime a mirror works better than a flashlight as it has the power of the brightest light of all, the sun.

You don't live in the UK do you ? Think cloud ... :mecry:

 

[Sgt. LED]

Wooo-Hooo!:twothumbs
I think I'll stick with my LM 31 till Fenix makes a slightly lower cost, & clipless T1 like light. Spikey tailcap could be lost as well!

 

[PocketBeam]

I like the marker beacon idea. I would also like a mode where it blinks about every 15 seconds at low power. The idea is the light could be a marker beacon, or it could be used to find the light. And in this mode it would be able to run for days. I always thought the flashlights that had a blinking LED on them so you could find them in the dark, were cool.

 

[herolet]

I have a P3D Q5 and L2D CE. I personally love the SOS and Strobe options.

I usually just use Low and Turbo mode by turning the bezel. Other modes don't bother me at all. It's better to have it when not needed than need it but not available.

My vote goes to keep the current configuration. If possible, maybe make the Low mode stay at around 9-12 lumens when the future R2, R4 bins come out.

 

[colnago]

All my lights must hv the strobe mode. Like quite a few forummers here have said, it can be a life saver one day. You will never know when you need it.

 

[ankhbr]

My vote goes to keep the current configuration. If possible, maybe make the Low mode stay at around 9-12 lumens when the future R2, R4 bins come out.

Or even lower! I like my L0P-SE, and currently it's the Fenix multilevel light with the lowest low, as far as I know. As bins advance, it's nice to have a higher maximum level. But for me, it's not nice to have a higher minimum level. Hope I managed to make my point on this (English's not my native language).


As for the strobe mode... well, if it can be completely hidden, I can have it. If I have to cycle thru it everytime, it's horrible, as I will not be needing it much. That's one of the things I liked on the Nitecore Defender, and hope other manufacturers think about doing something similar: a strobe mode that does not get in the way, but at the same time can be easily accessible (if needed).


Federal LG: Cheers from Brazil too, conterrâneo* :wave:


* = fellow countryman

 

[Marduke]

I like having both model lights available. I have been holding off on a LxT for an even higher bin, but I have actually used the strobe on my LOD. It's great to grab attention across a mall, stadium, or other large event when two parties are trying to meet up. It's certainly better than standing there waving your arms (like the other 20 people near you doing the same thing).

The SOS however, ditch it, definitely.

 

[jayflash]

Yes, engineers, please give us a low (Arc AAA-like ~3 lu) that is "low".

 

[idiotekniQues]

definitely i like having more than two modes. as these lights get so bright, it is very nice to have a nice reasonable amount of light that saves you battery life but can get you by inside your tent or just around your car or house, a bright light for say hiking at night or various things, and then a couple very bright levels. so i need about 4 modes i'd say.

i have no issue with an SOS mode, i think it is a good idea.

however, i do feel that there could be a better more intuitive way to switch everything, from what i have read.

my l2d-ce q5 is on its way. the only thing i didnt like about it from reviews was the way to go from mode to mode. the surefire u2 sounded like it had a perfect way to switch through 6 modes. but for 250 bucks it was not worth it.

 

[CrazyCarl]

I think the L1D setup with turbo vs. multi modes is a pretty good way to do it. I don't mind the P1D CE setup too much either.

But what really annoys me is the L0D and L0P (AAA models) setup. Turning it on 3 times to reach high mode is a bit much. I can understand a low mode being forst for a keychain light, but it would be nice to have full power come second.

Since my main function is just playing with them, it would be nice if just one of the various AAA models was a "turbo" version, with a blasting 75 lumens default mode, then maybe some lower modes after that.

 

[JoeBob]

Strobes trigger migraines with me, so any light that doesn't have one is a plus.

 

[Bearcat]

How about pressing and holding some type switch for 10 minutes while standing on one foot before being able to access the secret flash and SOS modes?