jon_slider
Flashlight Enthusiast
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2015
- Messages
- 4,892
List Lights that use PWM or Constant Current that fluctuates
If you Believe a light uses PWM (please include a photo or a link if disputed) that can be detected by waving, a camera, or oscilloscope, even if YOU dont notice it in use, feel free to add to the list. This post is not intended to discuss whether PWM is bad, good, or fast enough not to be noticed. It is ONLY about whether the circuit uses pulses.
The following lights use Pulse Width Modulation: (please add any others you know of)
Astrolux S1
Astrolux A01 Copper Old Lumens edition Nov. 2016, earlier Jan 2015 models were NoPWM
Astrolux K01 Copper
BLF D80
Convoy S2
Emisar D4
Eoslamp SP11-S
Fenix PD40 and LD05
47 mini mkII
Led Lenser NEO headlamp
Prometheus Beta Copper
Eagletac D25 (disputed) reported: here D25A Ti also here and here D25LC2 and here D25AAA, and here #65
Maratac AAA Rev 3 (PWM ended approximately with Oct 2015 batch)
Maratac AA Rev 4
Lumintop Tool AA
Jaxman E2
Klarus XT11
Liteflux LF2XT
Lumintop Tool (PWM ended approximately with Oct 2015 batch)
Lumapower LM21
HDS and another link and a pic
Jetbeam Jet-U AAA note there is a newer version that only has PWM on 10440 according to this
JetBeam RRT01 Constant Current that resemble PWM in photos
McGizmo Haiku (link shows 5 seconds of pre 2013 slow PWM on video). this post confirms the 2017 Haiku still has PWM. Here is a photo of the post 2012 faster PWM
And this one confirms the 3s revision of 2012 still uses PWM
Malkoff MDC AA 3 mode, see photo and photo
Malkoff Wildcat
Manker LAD (Constant current with a feedback loop)
MecArmy PT60
Muyshondt Aeon Mk3
Muyshondt Beagle MKI
Nitecore Tip (disputed)
Nitecore NU20
Olight I3S XPL 180 lumen brass model
Olight S Mini
Olight S2a, on Moonlight #1
PflexPro dropins
Preon
Preon gen 2 series see photo
Nitecore Tube
ReyLight Pineapple pwm photo
ReyLight Ti Lan
SGN3
Streamlight ProTac HL 3
Surefire Sidekick
Tank0007 E09
ThorFire TK4A
Thrunite TH20
Thorfire TG06S
Trustfire TR-3T6
Ultratac K18
Zebralight SC5 (controversial) selfbuilt says it has noPwm, he says same about Eagletac. Zebra scan lines in a photo, in this post #74
Zebralight SC52, pic here
Part of the PWM detection controversy is semantics. Some systems use a sort of hybrid PWM plus minimum current control, eg Eagletac, Zebralight and HDS, use pulses that dont drop all the way to zero, imo they are still pulses.. others disagree, because the strict definition of PWM is that it pulses on and then all the way off.
In my case, a light that has PWM, Pulses, Waves, Flicker, or other fluctuations, can affect my cameraphone images, so I include lights that have one of those characteristics. Make your own judgements about the interpretation, and your application for a light.
A note on technical definitions of PWM and Constant Current:
these are HYBRID drive lights that use Pulses that do not drop to Zero:
Eagletac, HDS, Zebralight, and Nitecore Tip though they are technically NoPWM lights, they are NOT Constant Current because they use PULSES that do not drop to Zero, so cannot be called PWM by the strict definition, but ALSO cannot be called CONSTANT Current, by definition either
#13
Originally Posted by reppans 
Selfbuilt did not test the D25A, which is all I own. The D25A only uses PWM on a couple of modes (and it's the fastest I've ever photographed), and moonlight has slow PWM-like pulsation (depending upon sample and voltage) on moonlight.
Here are three D25A samples swept along with an HDS across a time exposure. You really can't "see" PWM this fast unless you know exactly how to look for it - I never noticed it until another reviewer pointed it out.
And a typical D25A moonlight on low voltage vs a Quark moonlight - cellphone test and time exposure.
#95
If you Believe a light uses PWM (please include a photo or a link if disputed) that can be detected by waving, a camera, or oscilloscope, even if YOU dont notice it in use, feel free to add to the list. This post is not intended to discuss whether PWM is bad, good, or fast enough not to be noticed. It is ONLY about whether the circuit uses pulses.
The following lights use Pulse Width Modulation: (please add any others you know of)
Astrolux S1
Astrolux A01 Copper Old Lumens edition Nov. 2016, earlier Jan 2015 models were NoPWM
Astrolux K01 Copper
BLF D80
Convoy S2
Emisar D4
Eoslamp SP11-S
Fenix PD40 and LD05
47 mini mkII
Led Lenser NEO headlamp
Prometheus Beta Copper
Eagletac D25 (disputed) reported: here D25A Ti also here and here D25LC2 and here D25AAA, and here #65
Maratac AAA Rev 3 (PWM ended approximately with Oct 2015 batch)
Maratac AA Rev 4
Lumintop Tool AA
Jaxman E2
Klarus XT11
Liteflux LF2XT
Lumintop Tool (PWM ended approximately with Oct 2015 batch)
Lumapower LM21
HDS and another link and a pic
Jetbeam Jet-U AAA note there is a newer version that only has PWM on 10440 according to this
JetBeam RRT01 Constant Current that resemble PWM in photos
McGizmo Haiku (link shows 5 seconds of pre 2013 slow PWM on video). this post confirms the 2017 Haiku still has PWM. Here is a photo of the post 2012 faster PWM
And this one confirms the 3s revision of 2012 still uses PWM
Malkoff MDC AA 3 mode, see photo and photo
Malkoff Wildcat
Manker LAD (Constant current with a feedback loop)
MecArmy PT60
Muyshondt Aeon Mk3
Muyshondt Beagle MKI
Nitecore Tip (disputed)
Nitecore NU20
Olight I3S XPL 180 lumen brass model
Olight S Mini
Olight S2a, on Moonlight #1
PflexPro dropins
Preon
Preon gen 2 series see photo
Nitecore Tube
ReyLight Pineapple pwm photo
ReyLight Ti Lan
SGN3
Streamlight ProTac HL 3
Surefire Sidekick
Tank0007 E09
ThorFire TK4A
Thrunite TH20
Thorfire TG06S
Trustfire TR-3T6
Ultratac K18
Zebralight SC5 (controversial) selfbuilt says it has noPwm, he says same about Eagletac. Zebra scan lines in a photo, in this post #74
Zebralight SC52, pic here
Part of the PWM detection controversy is semantics. Some systems use a sort of hybrid PWM plus minimum current control, eg Eagletac, Zebralight and HDS, use pulses that dont drop all the way to zero, imo they are still pulses.. others disagree, because the strict definition of PWM is that it pulses on and then all the way off.
In my case, a light that has PWM, Pulses, Waves, Flicker, or other fluctuations, can affect my cameraphone images, so I include lights that have one of those characteristics. Make your own judgements about the interpretation, and your application for a light.
A note on technical definitions of PWM and Constant Current:
these are HYBRID drive lights that use Pulses that do not drop to Zero:
Eagletac, HDS, Zebralight, and Nitecore Tip though they are technically NoPWM lights, they are NOT Constant Current because they use PULSES that do not drop to Zero, so cannot be called PWM by the strict definition, but ALSO cannot be called CONSTANT Current, by definition either
#13
Selfbuilt reserves the term "PWM" for drivers that rapidly cycle power between 0 and max. Modern drivers, however, such as the one found in the BLF A6 and BLF Kronos X6 use PWM in a more rational way. They cycle between max and a non-zero output level. On the oscilloscope this results in a ripple that selfbuilt, at least to-date, has not called PWM.
I do not know much about the Eagletac D25A, so I cannot say whether this has anything to do with the reports of PWM on it. I have, however, seen convincing photos posted by CPF member reppans.


Selfbuilt did not test the D25A, which is all I own. The D25A only uses PWM on a couple of modes (and it's the fastest I've ever photographed), and moonlight has slow PWM-like pulsation (depending upon sample and voltage) on moonlight.
Here are three D25A samples swept along with an HDS across a time exposure. You really can't "see" PWM this fast unless you know exactly how to look for it - I never noticed it until another reviewer pointed it out.

And a typical D25A moonlight on low voltage vs a Quark moonlight - cellphone test and time exposure.

#95
Since we are splitting hairs, I think this old photo (a time exposure sweep) is a pretty good visual representation of the progression from "oscillation noise" to true PWM. L to R: SC52, Quark AA, D25A and MDC AA. I swept them all together, and fast as I can possibly swing my arms. Focus on the very bottom of the beam swipes.
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IMHO: the SC52 and Quark show oscillation noise, and are undetectable with the naked eye (which I consider myself pretty good at), and an HDS will look similar, but this is not PWM. By my definition, the D25A crosses the line of true PWM (on ~3 modes) but I really need to concentrate to see this one (and it's one of my favorite lights, own a half dozen).... it is the fastest PWM frequency I've seen/photographed. The MDC AA is kinda slow, and it see it annoyingly frequently.
But if you don't know how or what to look for, my advice is - do not learn!
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