get-lit
Flashlight Enthusiast
As is stands, ANSI ratings are flawed because they are battery, temperature, and 'use' dependent. Change any one of these and the ANSI rating would be very much different.
Battery:
Even if the best battery is used, next year there will be higher density battery and the light's rating would no longer be valid, and the higher ANSI ratings of two lights could be reversed. By using ANSI with batteries, the playing field is biased toward the lower amp lights of the same battery. ie. 4sevens and Dereelight.
Use:
I know that if I hold a Mini 123 in my hand, the heat transefers to my fingers and the light stays cool. When standing alone, it gets really hot. So one light can have a higher ANSI when holding it, while another light can have a higher ANSI when not holding it. I hardly ever use the brightest mode on a light for more than a minute at a time anyhow, so ANSI tells me very little about expected output for my use.
Temperature:
And one light can have a higher ANSI when its cold out, while another light can have a higher ANSI when its hot out.
I feel that OTF is more applicable than ANSI. At least OTF should be provided along with ANSI. Otherwise you'd have to have whole slew of ANSI data: holding ANSI, standalone ANSI, Winter ANSI, Summer ANSI, good battery ANSI, next year's battery ANSI, initial ANSI, prolonged ANSI, and on and on. Take for instance the Mini 123 and the Turbo, two lights with similar lumen output - but according to ANSI they are 50% different in output under the specific condition which they were measured.
Battery:
Even if the best battery is used, next year there will be higher density battery and the light's rating would no longer be valid, and the higher ANSI ratings of two lights could be reversed. By using ANSI with batteries, the playing field is biased toward the lower amp lights of the same battery. ie. 4sevens and Dereelight.
Use:
I know that if I hold a Mini 123 in my hand, the heat transefers to my fingers and the light stays cool. When standing alone, it gets really hot. So one light can have a higher ANSI when holding it, while another light can have a higher ANSI when not holding it. I hardly ever use the brightest mode on a light for more than a minute at a time anyhow, so ANSI tells me very little about expected output for my use.
Temperature:
And one light can have a higher ANSI when its cold out, while another light can have a higher ANSI when its hot out.
I feel that OTF is more applicable than ANSI. At least OTF should be provided along with ANSI. Otherwise you'd have to have whole slew of ANSI data: holding ANSI, standalone ANSI, Winter ANSI, Summer ANSI, good battery ANSI, next year's battery ANSI, initial ANSI, prolonged ANSI, and on and on. Take for instance the Mini 123 and the Turbo, two lights with similar lumen output - but according to ANSI they are 50% different in output under the specific condition which they were measured.
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