Eternalight Idea?

Tex -

Kind of silly for me to keep talking about this until I have one in my hot little hands - but since when has ignorance ever stopped me from making comments before?

When I say "cycling through modes" I consider the nine dim settings to be "dim modes." I'm guessing here, but don't you always have to cycle through all the dim settings to get to the one you want? Or at least through six of them if you want the dim-6 setting, for example? In my lovely little dream-light world, there is only one button/switch that does the three things I want. I can handle cycling through three items. But perfect functionality for me would be:

For full-on: Press and release power button
For dim-on: Press and HOLD 1 second
For off from either mode: Press and release power button

OR: press lightly for dim, press hard for full-on.

The whole direction of this thread is pretty funny to me, because I'm typically the guy who wants the most fully-functioned, complicated devices known to man. You should see my Home Theater system. I've typed up entire instruction sheets on just how to power the thing up, and my wife STILL has to call me to ask how to do it each time. My house is full of automated appliances, power supplies, etc. I press more buttons in a day than normal people would see in a lifetime. Of my friends and family, I'm the go-to guy for any comsumer goodies that have electronics or buttons.

In any other realm of my life, I'd be the one standing in your shoes poking fun at me. But with this issue, you get to have all the fun. But I don't mind - that's the kind of generous soul I am. I offer this chance to you of my own free will.

OK, ok. Uncle. Let me get my hands on one, and we'll see how it goes.
 
Darell,

Why you bloddy button headded devil's advocate you! You would probably ask for a new rope too, wouldn't you?
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Now there's an interesting question for a thread. Off the top of my head, I'd probably take a Lightwave 4000 if those were the rules.

My descention into darkness will thus be delayed as long as possible.
 
I'd take a football sized traser and give someonelse my batteries or trade for coconuts or other favors.
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Darell, I actually think the Eternalight will *beat* the LW4000 in the longetivity stakes. At minimum setting (1 LED, max PWM)on new batts, its rated at 2800 hours! PLUS you get the option of cranking up the intensity when you need more light. Try that with the LW! And with lithium AAs, no worries about leaking for the next decade (enough time to earn a divine appeal).

Oh well, the LW *does* make a nice club, particularly if you're in one of those "survivor" type situations - you might need it to clobber your next meal. Or blind it
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If I were going to be in the dark & needed the longest lasting light that's usuable to get around with, it would be the X-Ray I just got. The night "beacon" is enough to manuver by & on alaklines, they estimate 2-3 years. Longer on lithiums. If you needed a brighter, it would be available in one of its 12 dimmer modes.
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TX

Hotfoot, looks like we were posting the same thing at the same time. I just extended my light usage by useing the beacon mode.
 
Ah, but see... nothing was mentioned about taking my soldering station along. Once I have my lightwave and three D batteries, I can then modify the thing to burn on one under-driven LED for the next 20 years.

OK, we should start a new topic for that one. I do like the moster glow ring idea too, though. Playing a round of Tritium-ball on the beach at night would be a blast.
 
If Darell had enough juice to run his soldering station at will, I'd opt for a battery charger and a nice mix of rechargeables instead!
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But nooooo.... our friend likes pottering about in the dark with 1 severely underdriven and immensely heavy LED torch...
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OK, rat pak on Darell!
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Darell you will like the Eternalight and be man enough to admit it. We won't be men enough not to say we told you so you twit!
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Which one does he have comming. I hope it's like the X-Ray I just got. It's listed as a 3X, but the output is what I would expect if I bought the Elite. I'm really impressed with it. TX
 
The one I have coming is obviously one of the "special edition" ones. Afterall, it has fourLEDs and threebuttons!
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It'll just have to be a surprise when it gets here.

Why, do you suppose, do I keep coming back here to dig my hole deeper?
 
Yah...that sounds just like the one I have. 4 LED's, 3 buttons....that's it...same as mine.
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TX
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by darell:
[QB You should see my Home Theater system. I've typed up entire instruction sheets on just how to power the thing up, and my wife STILL has to call me to ask how to do it each time. My house is full of automated appliances, power supplies, etc. I press more buttons in a day than normal people would see in a lifetime. Of my friends and family, I'm the go-to guy for any comsumer goodies that have electronics or buttons.
[/QB]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

SO you're a home automation addict too eh? I think they almost go hand in hand. My mom can't turn on our home theatre either...it's soooooo hard too, hit power and hit VCR. OH well I guess not all is lost.
 
Darell,
This is exactly the reason you need this light with all the buttons. So when you're lying on the beach in Maui after you die, you'll have something to fulfill your button/gizzmo feddish, since your home system won't be available.
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TX
 
The EternaLight appears to be NOT regulated. The first clue is that it needs exactly three batteries (not enough voltage for a linear regulator). The second is that there appears to be no inductors on the board anywhere (required for a boost circuit -- switched capacitor charge pumps are uncommon).

As far as features, there IS a programmable chip in there. I suspect that it may be a PIC or similar. I also suspect that they initially had just on/dim/off, but the guy (or girl) doing the programming said "There is extra memory in this thing. What else can I make it do?" This means that the extra features probably do not result in a higher manufacturing cost.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Harrkev:
The EternaLight appears to be NOT regulated. The first clue is that it needs exactly three batteries (not enough voltage for a linear regulator). The second is that there appears to be no inductors on the board anywhere (required for a boost circuit -- switched capacitor charge pumps are uncommon).

As far as features, there IS a programmable chip in there. I suspect that it may be a PIC or similar. I also suspect that they initially had just on/dim/off, but the guy (or girl) doing the programming said "There is extra memory in this thing. What else can I make it do?" This means that the extra features probably do not result in a higher manufacturing cost.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

You're right. The Eternalight uses PWM, not regulation, as its mechanism for battery longevity. That's why the LEDs appear to flicker slightly at very low settings (the eye soon adjusts to the flicker though and it becomes practically unnnoticeable). The LEDs will still dim very gradually as the batteries are drained, just as in the Arcs, which are voltage regulated.
 

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