Convoy 12-group flashlight owners...which mode do you prefer?

brachypelma44 · Jun 4, 2022

In case you haven't looked at it recently, or are just getting into the Convoy 12-group lights, here is a list of the different modes:

Group 1: 0.1%, 1%, 10%, 35%, 100%, strobe, bike light, battery check
Group 2: 0.1%, 1%, 10%, 35%, 100%
Group 3: 100%, 35%, 10%, 1%, 0.1%
Group 4: 1%, 20%, 100%, strobe, bike light, battery check, SOS
Group 5: 1%, 20%, 100%
Group 6: 100%, 20%, 1%
Group 7: 0.1%, 1%, 10%, 50%, strobe, bike light, battery check, SOS
Group 8: 0.1%, 1%, 10%, 50%
Group 9: 50%, 10%, 1%, 0.1%
Group 10: 1%, 10%, 35%, 100%
Group 11: 100%, 20%, strobe
Group 12: 100% only

I have a new M21B, and my use case is 100% outdoors. We have a lot of chickens on our farm, and we need to monitor them as much as is reasonably possible, and discourage predators from digging their way into the runs or trying to break into the coops at night. We have a mama fox with 5 hungry kits nearby, as well as the usual racoons and weasels that would love to grab a chicken. So, I need to be in a mode that has the ability to hop to 100% quickly. Any mode that includes a strobe is automatically out, so that basically brings it down to groups 2, 5, and 10. I settled on #10 because I find the 35% a bit more useful than the 20%, and the fewer levels I have to cycle through, the better.

What's your situation and preferred group?

3_gun · Jun 4, 2022

I ended up on 10 for pretty much the same reasons. I did try 8 for awhile when I used the light at sales before getting a better indoor light

KITROBASKIN · Jun 5, 2022

Group 1 for the battery check. C8+ pretty much stays at 100%, where last mode memory helps. Not so with an S2+, where it is necessary to go through the jiggly nonsense to get less light.

Duster1671 · Jun 5, 2022

I use Group 2 for the 0.1% moonlight.

Megalamuffin · Jun 6, 2022

I have group 2 set on two lights and group 10 on the other two. I could go either way between these groups. Memory mode is set but I have yet to try them with it off.

Bradbn4 · Jun 6, 2022

My version of this light is still in shipping; but looking hard at mode 9.

desert.snake · Jun 6, 2022

Group 8 on M21C mainly due to the fact that on my 18650 batteries, the level of 50% and 100% practically does not differ in brightness

this_is_nascar · Jun 7, 2022

Group 2, usually. I really wish this UI would be tweeked slightly, to allow the ability to hit a couple different brightnesses from OFF.

I think this outdated Biscotti UI is the only type of light I have left that doesn't allow multiple instant brightness settings from the OFF position.

Duster1671 · Jun 7, 2022

I leave mode memory turned OFF on these lights so that it's easy to get to whatever level I want from off.

Moon mode? Just a single click
Low? Click - tap
etc.

H17Fx is even better with its double-tap-to-turbo, but the Convoy 12-group works pretty well too.

this_is_nascar · Jun 8, 2022

Duster1671 said:
I leave mode memory turned OFF on these lights so that it's easy to get to whatever level I want from off.

Moon mode? Just a single click
Low? Click - tap
etc.

H17Fx is even better with its double-tap-to-turbo, but the Convoy 12-group works pretty well too.

I hear, but it's still not ideal. It's actually, pretty antiquated, if you think about it. Most of my lights that get used, can go to, at least, 2-3 immediate brightness modes from OFF. That's OK though, as the s2+ would he the only one I'd loan out, if I absolutely had to.

Duster1671 · Jun 8, 2022

Yeah there are certainly more advanced and versatile UIs. I think in some cases old technology sticks around and remains useful because it gets the job done well enough, even if not as polished or feature-filled.

Personally, the only mode that I absolutely want available directly from off is moon/low. I can do this with a sequential UI w/no memory, a Zebralight or Anduril shortcut UI, or a rotary. For higher levels I'm fine with a click sequence as long as the sequence is predictable.

Jean-Luc Descarte · Jun 8, 2022

Depends on the light. For EDC lights I stay with either mode group 2 or, if the setup is more powerful, group 8.

The sole exception is an M2 set up as a thrower (SST20 + smooth reflector). That one I keep in mode group 5, since I don't use it indoors.

justanotherguy · Jun 9, 2022

brachypelma44 said:
In case you haven't looked at it recently, or are just getting into the Convoy 12-group lights, here is a list of the different modes:

Group 1: 0.1%, 1%, 10%, 35%, 100%, strobe, bike light, battery check
Group 2: 0.1%, 1%, 10%, 35%, 100%
Group 3: 100%, 35%, 10%, 1%, 0.1%
Group 4: 1%, 20%, 100%, strobe, bike light, battery check, SOS
Group 5: 1%, 20%, 100%
Group 6: 100%, 20%, 1%
Group 7: 0.1%, 1%, 10%, 50%, strobe, bike light, battery check, SOS
Group 8: 0.1%, 1%, 10%, 50%
Group 9: 50%, 10%, 1%, 0.1%
Group 10: 1%, 10%, 35%, 100%
Group 11: 100%, 20%, strobe
Group 12: 100% only

I have a new M21B, and my use case is 100% outdoors. We have a lot of chickens on our farm, and we need to monitor them as much as is reasonably possible, and discourage predators from digging their way into the runs or trying to break into the coops at night. We have a mama fox with 5 hungry kits nearby, as well as the usual racoons and weasels that would love to grab a chicken. So, I need to be in a mode that has the ability to hop to 100% quickly. Any mode that includes a strobe is automatically out, so that basically brings it down to groups 2, 5, and 10. I settled on #10 because I find the 35% a bit more useful than the 20%, and the fewer levels I have to cycle through, the better.

What's your situation and preferred group?

Group 10 for me, and love the username, my favorite genus!
We have two hobbies in common!

Group 10

KITROBASKIN · Jun 10, 2022

How does one disable mode memory?

vicv · Jun 10, 2022

Group two for me. I usually used mine for moonlight to get around the house at night until I got my aviator

vicv · Jun 10, 2022

KITROBASKIN said:
How does one disable mode memory?

Jean-Luc Descarte · Jun 10, 2022

KITROBASKIN said:
How does one disable mode memory?

Mash the switch until you enter config mode. Leave it alone during the first "blink buzz", then when it goes "blink blink buzz", tap the switch once. This is how you toggle mode memory.

KITROBASKIN · Jun 10, 2022

Great!
Makes a wonderful difference for our application. Thanks very much, both of you.

Jean-Luc Descarte · Jun 10, 2022

Anytime 😉

syga · Jun 11, 2022

On my S21B, I like to have more runtime between charges so I use group 8 because I don't need 100% brightness.
And have the memory disabled, I like to have it start off at the lowest setting.

I wish all lights were programmable like this...

Convoy 12-group flashlight owners...which mode do you prefer?

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