HDS_Systems
Enlightened
Theatre Booth Guy,
We guarantee the minimum runtimes. Only the worst possible LED will produce this minimum runtime. All other LEDs produce longer - sometimes, much longer - runtimes. So yes, how much longer the light runs past the minimum is the "luck of the draw".
gottawearshades,
LEDs out of the same bin can vary in efficiency by as much as 2:1. See the Articles section of our web site for detailed explanations of why this is so - specifically, read LED Flashlight White Paper.
That said, the only way to ensure two flashlight using LEDs from the same bin are the same brightness is to calibrate each flashlight to the same brightness level. For production purposes, you must first determine the worst LED efficiency you can tolerate for a specified lumen level. The calibration process then adjusts the power level downward from this level until each LED emits the same amount of light. Thus the runtimes vary. The worst acceptable LED efficiency produces the minimum specified runtime while all other LEDs produce longer runtimes.
In this respect, each flashlight is custom. However, since the calibration process is part of the production process, these flashlights can be considered production flashlights.
Valpo Hawkeye,
The switch mechanism is actually very robust and it will be difficult from someone to accidentally damage it. The warning is mostly there for the "ham fisted" owner who likes to over tighten everything. We are trying to convey to the owner that there is no benefit to continuing to tighten the mechanism past the point the light has switched to high. Doing so on a regular basis will simply wear the components.unnecessarily. There is a big difference between loosely snug and torqued.
Henry.
We guarantee the minimum runtimes. Only the worst possible LED will produce this minimum runtime. All other LEDs produce longer - sometimes, much longer - runtimes. So yes, how much longer the light runs past the minimum is the "luck of the draw".
gottawearshades,
LEDs out of the same bin can vary in efficiency by as much as 2:1. See the Articles section of our web site for detailed explanations of why this is so - specifically, read LED Flashlight White Paper.
That said, the only way to ensure two flashlight using LEDs from the same bin are the same brightness is to calibrate each flashlight to the same brightness level. For production purposes, you must first determine the worst LED efficiency you can tolerate for a specified lumen level. The calibration process then adjusts the power level downward from this level until each LED emits the same amount of light. Thus the runtimes vary. The worst acceptable LED efficiency produces the minimum specified runtime while all other LEDs produce longer runtimes.
In this respect, each flashlight is custom. However, since the calibration process is part of the production process, these flashlights can be considered production flashlights.
Valpo Hawkeye,
The switch mechanism is actually very robust and it will be difficult from someone to accidentally damage it. The warning is mostly there for the "ham fisted" owner who likes to over tighten everything. We are trying to convey to the owner that there is no benefit to continuing to tighten the mechanism past the point the light has switched to high. Doing so on a regular basis will simply wear the components.unnecessarily. There is a big difference between loosely snug and torqued.
Henry.
