foreward clicky vs regular

[nasa779]

whats the difference and why is one better then the other?

 

[Marduke]

Please visit the Welcome Mat for the answer to that question (any many others).

 

[nasa779]

oh lol my bad

 

[carrot]

http://cpf.carrot.googlepages.com/flashlight_guide#clicky

Most clicky switches are based on the same mechanism that makes a retractable ballpoint pen work, which happens to be a very good mechanism for a pen but somewhat less reliable when electricity is involved. These clicky switches are mechanical clicky switches. These are extremely common in flashlights yet the original design of such a mechanical clicky switch was intended for a signal current (a very low current used to tell a circuit what to do) rather than a power current. Now this sort of clicky switch is fantastic, and I don't mean to turn you off of clickies, as I have many clicky lights I enjoy, but it is important to be aware of such a possibility.

There are two main types of these mechanical clickies. They are separated into "forward clickies" and "reverse clickies." Forward clickies allow for momentary activation of a flashlight, and as such they are sometimes referred to as "tactical clickies." Reverse clickies do not allow for momentary activation, but as their name suggests, they allow momentary de-activation of a flashlight that is already on. This is not really a useful feature but some flashlights use the momentary deactivation to signal to the circuitry inside to switch modes. Generally speaking, forward clickies are very desirable, because many end-users prefer the ability of momentary activation, whether it means split-second faster access to light or battery conservation or just being a bit simpler when one needs to quickly check something. Why not just make every switch a forward clicky, you ask? I have not compared the insides of forward and reverse clickies in depth but it seems forward clickies are more complicated to design and manufacture, as well as the possibility of forward clickies being slightly less reliable. From user reports it seems that forward clickies have a higher rate of failure than reverse clickies, but without actual testing data it is difficult to say this for certain.

 

[chaoss]

I have a forward twisty, does that count?

 

[Marduke]

I have a forward twisty, does that count?

You mean twist-momentary? Not the same.

 

[yellow]

there is no "better" ...

for the beginner the reverse is easier to use,
I appreciate to be able to momentarily activate my lights without engaging the (forward) switch.

reverse seem to can be made much smaller and more reliable

 

[brucec]

As good as Carrot's guide is, I think it is biased in favor of forward clickies. Personally, I do not think one is necessarily "better" than the other, especially for multi-mode lights.

forward: allows momentary on, but from the on position, you have to unclick-click to cycle between modes which is a bit clumsy

reverse: you can quickly cycle through all modes from the on position, but there is no momentary on

If you have a single mode light, I think forward is probably more useful. For multi-mode, it will depend on what you value more: momentary on or quick cycling

 

[chaoss]

You mean twist-momentary? Not the same.

I was making a funny .