raggie33
*the raggedier*
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they just seem to be more honest lately
are flashlights regulated?like do they have to be honest on there llumens claims
- Thread starter raggie33
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archimedes
Flashaholic
Sure, ANSI/NEMA FL1
Ozythemandias
Flashlight Enthusiast
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Well they aren't regulated by anything other than the market. ANSI is a standard but there's no ANSI agency monitoring claims.
I think the general improvement in accurate claims is due largely to our honest reviewers actually measuring and publicizing inaccurate claims. Shout out to those that do!
I think the general improvement in accurate claims is due largely to our honest reviewers actually measuring and publicizing inaccurate claims. Shout out to those that do!
raggie33
*the raggedier*
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this is awesume
That's like asking if politicians are honest.
Some are, some are not. The older, well respected companies tend to under promote the numbers just to ensure they do at least give what they say at the bezel. Others stated at the LED dome, and still others just flat out fib.
Same with run times.
Some are, some are not. The older, well respected companies tend to under promote the numbers just to ensure they do at least give what they say at the bezel. Others stated at the LED dome, and still others just flat out fib.
Same with run times.
Bullzeyebill
Flashaholic
Raggie, you are one busy guy with your new threads recently. Not complaining.
Bill
Bill
raggie33
*the raggedier*
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lol yeah dang ocd but i did force my self to post my latest question on another forum
Ansi is useful, for initial output but unless a flashlight has a regulating driver in it that steps down when it hits 10% your output won't be but declining throughout the battery life either gradually or in steps. The lights with no regulating drivers just gradually dim to that 10% number and at that point ANSI gives you that runtime so a light that puts out 500 lumens will hit about 50 lumens when it is "done" according to ANSI so it could spend a lot of time around 100-200 lumens instead of that whole time at 500 lumens.
The way people had figured runtimes before was not to 10% but 50% and that could make a big difference as a light to 50% could have way less than half the runtime of one to 10%. A light that starts at 40 lumens will be at 4 lumens when ANSI says that is the runtime, which in many cases is not useful in figuring out how long you can use it.
The way people had figured runtimes before was not to 10% but 50% and that could make a big difference as a light to 50% could have way less than half the runtime of one to 10%. A light that starts at 40 lumens will be at 4 lumens when ANSI says that is the runtime, which in many cases is not useful in figuring out how long you can use it.
ChattanoogaPhil
Newly Enlightened
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- Jul 19, 2016
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- 91
I don't think there are flashlight police.
A lot of bang-zoom high lumen rated flashlights only perform at the top end for a few seconds then quickly fall to a significantly lower output. For example, I have a Surefire P3X rated at 1,000 lumens for 2.25 hours. Prior to purchase I found runtime graphs which showed the P3X initial output fell to about 70% after a minute or two, then operated in regulation at 50% for about an hour and forty-five minutes before dropping out of regulation. So for practical purposes, ya get a blast of illumination for a bit, then ya got maybe a 500 lumen flashlight for near 2 hours. This helped me to better understand the flashlight I was considering for purchase rather than ANSI rated runtime claims which really doesn't tell ya anything but initial output and total runtime to 10%.
Runtime graphs printed on Streamlight packaging are helpful. The runtime graph for my Streamlight HPL seems about right. Not scientific, but I've had it out for almost an hour and detected no noticeable drop in illumination.
A lot of bang-zoom high lumen rated flashlights only perform at the top end for a few seconds then quickly fall to a significantly lower output. For example, I have a Surefire P3X rated at 1,000 lumens for 2.25 hours. Prior to purchase I found runtime graphs which showed the P3X initial output fell to about 70% after a minute or two, then operated in regulation at 50% for about an hour and forty-five minutes before dropping out of regulation. So for practical purposes, ya get a blast of illumination for a bit, then ya got maybe a 500 lumen flashlight for near 2 hours. This helped me to better understand the flashlight I was considering for purchase rather than ANSI rated runtime claims which really doesn't tell ya anything but initial output and total runtime to 10%.
Runtime graphs printed on Streamlight packaging are helpful. The runtime graph for my Streamlight HPL seems about right. Not scientific, but I've had it out for almost an hour and detected no noticeable drop in illumination.
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This. Totally this.
I was browsing through the flashlight section of Batteries+Bulbs a while back and saw this graph on the Streamlight Microstream packaging. I bought the Microstream purely because I wanted to reward Streamlight for putting this graph on their packaging. I sent a message to Streamlight saying as much.
What I should have done after that was to send a message to other flashlight makers and explain why I bought a Streamlight rather than their product. Maybe that would encourage them to put useful information on their packaging.
--flatline
CREEXHP70LED
Enlightened
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2016
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- 552
I don't think there are flashlight police.
A lot of bang-zoom high lumen rated flashlights only perform at the top end for a few seconds then quickly fall to a significantly lower output. For example, I have a Surefire P3X rated at 1,000 lumens for 2.25 hours. Prior to purchase I found runtime graphs which showed the P3X initial output fell to about 70% after a minute or two, then operated in regulation at 50% for about an hour and forty-five minutes before dropping out of regulation. So for practical purposes, ya get a blast of illumination for a bit, then ya got maybe a 500 lumen flashlight for near 2 hours. This helped me to better understand the flashlight I was considering for purchase rather than ANSI rated runtime claims which really doesn't tell ya anything but initial output and total runtime to 10%.
Runtime graphs printed on Streamlight packaging are helpful. The runtime graph for my Streamlight HPL seems about right. Not scientific, but I've had it out for almost an hour and detected no noticeable drop in illumination.
Yes, I have the same light. One reason the Elzetta Charlie is on my buy list is because it actually holds in regulation about 900 - 930 lumens for almost 1 full hour before dropping out of regulation. Not 1,300 lumens dropping to about 500-600 in a couple minutes like the P3X Tactical does.
Elzetta has a video blog on those two lights and also, to the OP, they have a video blog on the FL1 Standard and how it can be exploited too, it is all on YouTube.
