R.ticle One
Newly Enlightened
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2008
- Messages
- 87
I'm still a newbie as far as understanding how stuff like this works - way back in Grade 10 science, the circuitry diagrams were most confounding, so please bear that in mind when explaining.
From what I understand about flashlights and brightness, based on either different user selectable modes, or how much juice is left in the batteries, a user can adjust the light's output using:
a) Pulse Width Modulation, or
b)Uh, not Pulse Width Modulation - I forget what it's called
If I had the choice of two lights with adjustable modes, one by a) and one by b), I would choose b) - the non PWM light, because flickering (even that some other people may not notice) bothers me.
I just had an *extremely* quick look at how light dimmers work on Google. The simplest gist of it that I got is that voltage is applied to only half (or some fraction) of an AC cycle.
If a flashlight is Direct Current and there's no cycle to alternate and no way for the voltage from the batteries to be applied to a dip in the cycle, like with 60 Hz AC electricity, and the light (choice b)), isn't using PWM, how does it function on a lower than full power mode?
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Now, about dying batteries and dimming bulbs/emitters - I've read in the last few days about Surefire's idea of what "usable" lumens are, and the disappointment some people have to find that the advertised run-time of some lights is based on the output weakening with the battery.
The opposite of that is, if I understand, a light which uses a regulated circuit. Am I right so far?
How does a non-regulated (dimming light with weakening battery) versus a regulated (full power and then the battery cuts off) light compare to one another - that is, how do they function internally?
------------------------------------------------------
I appreciate your help in understanding these great mysteries of flashlightdom.
Thanks!
R.ticle One
From what I understand about flashlights and brightness, based on either different user selectable modes, or how much juice is left in the batteries, a user can adjust the light's output using:
a) Pulse Width Modulation, or
b)Uh, not Pulse Width Modulation - I forget what it's called
If I had the choice of two lights with adjustable modes, one by a) and one by b), I would choose b) - the non PWM light, because flickering (even that some other people may not notice) bothers me.
I just had an *extremely* quick look at how light dimmers work on Google. The simplest gist of it that I got is that voltage is applied to only half (or some fraction) of an AC cycle.
If a flashlight is Direct Current and there's no cycle to alternate and no way for the voltage from the batteries to be applied to a dip in the cycle, like with 60 Hz AC electricity, and the light (choice b)), isn't using PWM, how does it function on a lower than full power mode?
-----------------------------------------------------------
Now, about dying batteries and dimming bulbs/emitters - I've read in the last few days about Surefire's idea of what "usable" lumens are, and the disappointment some people have to find that the advertised run-time of some lights is based on the output weakening with the battery.
The opposite of that is, if I understand, a light which uses a regulated circuit. Am I right so far?
How does a non-regulated (dimming light with weakening battery) versus a regulated (full power and then the battery cuts off) light compare to one another - that is, how do they function internally?
------------------------------------------------------
I appreciate your help in understanding these great mysteries of flashlightdom.
Thanks!
R.ticle One