Photon and Proton UI Tips & Tricks

[this_is_nascar]

I thought it would be nice to have all the Easter Eggs and Tips and Tricks concerning the UI to be in one thread. I don't recall all of them or the process to engage them, so here's where I need your help. Please post the procedure to enable these features and others that I've missed.

- 50% brightness mode (Photon and Proton).

- RED and WHITE activation at the same time (Proton only).

- 3-minute auto-shutoff (Photon and Proton).

 

[this_is_nascar]

Reserved...

 

[Blindasabat]

Courtesy of Doug of Flashlightreviews.com fame for the Proton:
Link: http://flashlightreviews.com/reviews/lri_proton.htm

To access the secret "all white LEDs on including the red LED" mode: Press and hold till red turns on and keep holding. Release when the first blink mode is reached (this is the second quick flash you see when the red LED is brightest). Turn it off. Turn it on with a click and all LEDs will be on until you use the red mode again. If you press-hold to turn the light on in red-only mode, the "all LEDs mode" will be turned off again and only the white LEDs will turn on with a click of the switch.

There is also a secret "50% Red" mode, available only in the red LED setting that will help conserve battery life. If you press-hold to turn on the red LED, and immediately release the button as soon as the red LED turns on, you can then press-hold the button to ramp up the LED in 50% mode. This appears almost as bright as the regular red LED only mode, but uses less power.

The 50% power one may work on the Photon Freedom, but I can't tell the difference with my 2yr old batteries.

Nice thread idea T_I_N. I still have the Jil DD I got from you waaaaaay back when.

 

[Point Source]

O.K... let's see if I remember correctly.

With the PROTON PRO:

To activate the RED and WHITE LEDs simultaneously you need to "shortcut" to the S.O.S. mode with the RED LED. To do this, start with the light off. Press and hold to turn on and ramp up the brightness of the RED LED. Continue to press as you reach max brightness, and just as you enter the first slow beacon mode, release the button. The light should "shortcut" to the S.O.S. mode instead of the slow beacon mode. Simply turn the light off, and the next time you turn the light on both the RED and WHITE LEDs will turn on simultaneously. To exit this mode, simply turn the RED LED on by holding the switch down from OFF, then turn the light off. The next time the light is turned on it will be only the WHITE LED.

To activate the 3 minute auto shut-off, enter momentary mode by quickly turning the light on and off 3(?) times. With momentary mode activated, press-and-hold the switch to activate the light. After a few seconds the light will shut off, signalling that you have exited momentary mode, but you will continue to keep the switch pressed. After a few seconds (can't remember how long exactly) you will see a quick blink from the WHITE LED. This blink signals that you have activated the 3 minute auto shutoff.

I think that's right.

Sorry, I only have the PRO, so I can't help you with the rest. :shrug:

Now, go have fun. :twothumbs

 

[Flying Turtle]

To turn off the auto-shutdown you get into momentary, turn it on and hold til it goes out, then release the switch and not wait for the blink. If you wait again for the blink it just stays in auto-shutdown mode.

Geoff

 

[Point Source]

I guess mine has had auto shutoff enabled for quite some time then.

Who knew?

 

[Beacon of Light]

I remember when I first bought mine I had the hardest time even getting it out of demo mode where it shut off in a few seconds.

 

[Crenshaw]

I somewhat recall this for the freedom cicuitry

Press and hold the button down, when the LED just turns on, release. Then proceed to press and ramp up. At the maximum ramp,the light is in "miser" mode, where it will only ramp up to half the brightness.

Crenshaw

 

[Flashlike]

Thanks, folks. I've learned some new "tricks" to perform with my Proton Pro. Cool stuff!

 

[this_is_nascar]

Thanks everyone. Keep it coming. Point Source it sounds like you're still in demo mode. Hold the buttom until the light goes off totally. It will take 20-30 seconds. Once out of demo mode, you can not get it back into that mode.

 

[d1337]

On the original Photon IIRC you can press and hold the button down for the light to come on and then let go and the light would go off.
Sorry I couldn't resist but i think this is a great idea for a thread. I have seen a lot of these easter eggs in different places over the years but it will be good to have them all in one place. I will be bookmarking for future reference.

 

[Marduke]

That's momentary mode. It's part of the official UI, not really an Easter egg.

 

[Point Source]

Point Source it sounds like you're still in demo mode. Hold the buttom until the light goes off totally. It will take 20-30 seconds. Once out of demo mode, you can not get it back into that mode.

No, I'm not. I was just trying to be funny.

I just never use the light for more than 3 minutes at a time anyway, so I never knew I was still in auto shutoff mode.

 

[asfaltpiloot]

Here's the original thread:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=182818

Thanks for the auto-off tip.

 

[darknessemitter]

Thanks everyone. Keep it coming. Point Source it sounds like you're still in demo mode. Hold the buttom until the light goes off totally. It will take 20-30 seconds. Once out of demo mode, you can not get it back into that mode.

Actually, I think I found a way to put the X-Light version back into demo mode, I can't remember exactly what I did but it involved holding down the button while inserting the cells, or at least holding the button down very soon after the cells are inserted (since you don't want to bend the batter contact). Maybe an easier way would be to insert the cells with a piece of paper sandwiched in, hold down the button, and then pull the paper out.

Er, something like that.

 

[this_is_nascar]

Actually, I think I found a way to put the X-Light version back into demo mode, I can't remember exactly what I did but it involved holding down the button while inserting the cells, or at least holding the button down very soon after the cells are inserted (since you don't want to bend the batter contact). Maybe an easier way would be to insert the cells with a piece of paper sandwiched in, hold down the button, and then pull the paper out.

Er, something like that.

Yes, that process works on the Photon, not the Proton.

 

[Illumination]

Neat stuff; I'll add a link from my programmable lights sticky.